Creation and configuration of a distributed heating, ventilation, and air conditioning network

ABSTRACT

In some embodiments, a system for operating an HVAC control network includes a first control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVAC units and a first interactive display, the first control unit further comprising a software access point (softAP). A second control unit, the second control unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and a second interactive display. The second control unit may include a push button. The second control unit may connect to the first control unit to create an HVAC control network using a Wi-Fi direct protocol by invoking a Wi-Fi direct, push button configuration protocol in response to detecting that the push button has been depressed. The first control unit may control the second plurality of HVAC units over the HVAC control network in response to the second control unit connecting to the first control unit.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application Ser.No. 62/104,900 filed on Jan. 19, 2015, entitled “Programmable SmartThermostat,” and U.S. Provisional Application Ser. No. 62/104,932, filedon Jan. 19, 2015, entitled “Method And System For Wireless Control AndMonitoring Of Distributed HVAC Systems,” both of which are commonlyassigned with this application and incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates generally to the field of HVAC systemsand, more specifically, to the creation and configuration of adistributed HVAC network.

BACKGROUND

Heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) systems regulate anumber of environmental conditions in homes, offices, factories,warehouses, and vehicles. These HVAC systems may include one or moreHVAC units to move, cool, or heat air. A thermostat may connect to theHVAC units over a communications network, to provide control to the HVACunits. Establishing, maintaining, and expanding the communicationsnetwork presents a number of issues in distributed HVAC systems

SUMMARY

In accordance with the present disclosure, disadvantages and problemsassociated with the creation and configuration of a distributed HVACnetwork may be reduced or eliminated.

In some embodiments, a system for operating an HVAC control networkincludes a first control unit communicatively coupled to a firstplurality of HVAC units and a first interactive display, the firstcontrol unit further comprising a software access point (softAP). Asecond control unit, the second control unit communicatively coupled toa second plurality of HVAC units and a second interactive display. Thesecond control unit may include a push button. The second control unitmay connect to the first control unit to create an HVAC control networkusing a Wi-Fi direct protocol by invoking a Wi-Fi direct, push buttonconfiguration protocol in response to detecting that the push button hasbeen depressed. The first control unit may control the second pluralityof HVAC units over the HVAC control network in response to the secondcontrol unit connecting to the first control unit

In some embodiments, a first control unit for operating an HVAC controlnetwork includes a first interface to facilitate communications with afirst plurality of HVAC units. A second interface to facilitatecommunications with a first interactive display. A push button operableto initiate a Wi-Fi direct, push button configuration protocol. A Wi-Fimodule operable to connect to a second control unit to create an HVACcontrol network using a Wi-Fi direct protocol in response to detectingthat the push button has been depressed. The second control unitcommunicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and a secondinteractive display. The first control unit may also include a processorcommunicatively coupled to the first interface, second interface, andWi-Fi module. The processor may transmit HVAC commands to the secondcontrol unit over the HVAC control network, the HVAC commands operableto control the second plurality of HVAC units.

In certain embodiments, the Wi-Fi module of the first control unit maydetect a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless accesspoint connected to the Internet. The processor of the first control unitmay then use the Wi-Fi module to connect to the Wi-Fi network andconnect to a user device over the Wi-Fi network, receive a temperaturechange command from the user device over the Wi-Fi network, andtransmit, using the first interface device, the temperature changecommand to the first plurality of HVAC units.

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may provide one or more technicaladvantages. One advantage of the present disclosure allows for thecreation of a self-sufficient, resilient HVAC network that by providingwireless connectivity between HVAC devices and user interfaces. Anotheradvantage of the present disclosure provides for the automaticidentification of network members using layered security protocols suchas small acceptance windows, built-in passwords, and application levelID pre-filtering. Certain embodiments of the invention may include none,some, or all of the above technical advantages. One or more othertechnical advantages may be readily apparent to one skilled in the artfrom the figures, descriptions, and claims included herein.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

For a more complete understanding of the present invention and itsfeatures and advantages, reference is now made to the followingdescription, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, inwhich:

FIG. 1 is an example diagram illustrating components of a heating,ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system;

FIG. 2 is a diagram of a residential home illustrating interoperableHVAC units;

FIG. 3 is an example timing diagram showing how HVAC control unitsupdate zone control in an HVAC system;

FIG. 4 is an example timing diagram showing how HVAC control unitsupdate zone control after losing communication;

FIG. 5 illustrates example operations of HVAC devices in an HVAC systemhaving multiple communication networks;

FIG. 6 is an example diagram depicting a distributed HVAC system usingmultiple access points to facilitate communication;

FIG. 7 is a block diagram illustrating an example HVAC control unit;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating example control systems andapplications provided by an HVAC control unit;

FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an example system for communicationswith an HVAC control server;

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method of registering an HVAC controlunit with a HVAC control server;

FIG. 11 is a timing diagram illustrating an example method for pushingweather data from an HVAC control server to an HVAC control unit; and

FIG. 12 is a timing diagram illustrating an example method forrequesting weather data from an HVAC control server using an HVACcontrol unit.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the present disclosure and its advantages are bestunderstood by referring to FIGS. 1-12, like numerals being used for likeand corresponding parts of the various drawings.

Traditional heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) systemshave failed to keep pace with advances in communication, deviceinteroperability, and user connectivity. More advanced HVAC systems havedeveloped an over reliance on Internet availability and centralizedcontrol from a dedicated server. Advancements disclosed by the presentdisclosure provide technical solutions to the technical shortcomingscreated by the gap in traditional HVAC systems and Internet-dependentsystems.

The following figures describe an HVAC system architecture that iscapable of operating intelligently in residential, commercial, andindustrial environments. Embodiments described herein provide solutionsfor seamlessly creating and configuring a distributed HVAC systemoperable to interconnect multiple HVAC units, controllers, and devices.The following offers a brief description of the technical advantagesdisclosed by the embodiments of the disclosure.

FIG. 1 discloses an HVAC network adept at operating multiple HVAC units,sensors, and interactive displays using an intelligent control unit tomanage and facilitate communications within an HVAC system.

FIGS. 2-4 detail how isolated HVAC systems may interface to form adistributed HVAC system. Providing connectivity between independent HVACsystems enables robust data viewing and equipment control of each HVACsystem from multiple user interfaces.

FIGS. 5-6 discuss the creation of a self-sufficient, resilient HVACnetwork that provides wireless connectivity between HVAC devices anduser interfaces without depending on a centralized server for operation.These advantages are realized by overcoming technical issues involved inthe detection and switching between communication networks to ensure areliable communication backbone for HVAC system communication. Anotheradvantage is the automatic identification of network members usinglayered security protocols such as small acceptance windows, built-inpasswords, and application level ID pre-filtering.

FIGS. 7-8 describe the technical details of the hardware, interfaces,and applications that enable a control unit to provide integratedcontrol and management of an HVAC system. Novel features of the controlunit overcome a number of technical issues present in traditional HVACnetworks such as the siloed operation of multiple HVAC units in a singlesystem. The solutions described below may allow for pan-HVACcommunications using a reliable wireless service that also provides easyonboarding to existing wireless networks.

FIGS. 9-12 explain a number of technical advantages created when an HVACcontrol unit is augmented with services from an HVAC server. Embodimentsexplain how control units in an HVAC system may overcome limitedcommunication resources to interface with an HVAC server to provideenhanced troubleshooting abilities and expanded access to userapplications.

The advantages described herein overcome technical problems present incurrent HVAC systems. For example, current residential HVAC systems mayhave two or more HVAC units providing services to different areas of ahome. Traditionally, these HVAC units operate independently and requireinstallers to wire each HVAC unit to a respective thermostat to controlseparate portions of the home. This configuration forces the homeownerto set the temperature of each thermostat independently to control eachHVAC unit. If the homeowner wants to view and control the entire HVACsystem, if even possible, an external server first collects the dataover the Internet before presenting it to the homeowner.

It is therefore advantageous to provide an HVAC system that facilitatescommunication amongst multiple HVAC units, allowing users to view andcontrol their entire HVAC system from multiple locations and devices.Embodiments of the present disclosure provide technical improvements inboth the communication among HVAC systems and among HVAC systemcomponents. Further advantages allow for increased scalability of HVACsystems by using unique communication protocols between HVAC controlunits.

For example, a homeowner may have a home HVAC system with an outdoor airconditioning unit and an indoor furnace. The air conditioner and thefurnace may connect to a control unit, which manages and facilitatescommunications with other devices in the HVAC system. The control unitmay communicate with one or more wireless sensors throughout the home toidentify a temperature in each room of the house. The control unit mayrelay this information to an interactive display, which may providethermostat capabilities. Additionally, the control unit may connect toone or more homeowner devices such as a mobile phone or a tablet. Thisability gives the homeowner greater flexibility in adjusting andmonitoring the entire home HVAC system.

As described below, the control unit may provide these services in anon-obtrusive manner, using existing communication networks within thehome reinforced by an independent HVAC network. Creating a reliablecommunications foundation allows users to build on the existing HVACsystem. Thus, the homeowner may wish to install an additional airconditioning unit to service a second story. The new air conditioningunit may connect to a second control unit. Once setup, the existingcontrol unit may automatically detect and connect to the new controlunit to provide the user control over the entire HVAC system from asingle location using a mobile device or an interactive display.

Certain embodiments of the disclosure may include none, some, or all ofthe above technical advantages. One or more other technical advantagesmay be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the figures,descriptions, and claims included herein. The foregoing summaries willnow be explained in greater detail using a number of embodiments,figures, and examples.

HVAC System Overview

FIG. 1 is an example HVAC system 100 illustrating components of aheating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) network. System 100comprises control units 102, each communicatively coupled to one or moreHVAC units 104 and 106. System 100 may include a single control unit 102a or multiple control units 102 a-n. Control units 102 may communicatewith user devices 110, sensors 112, interactive displays 114, controlserver 118, and remote device 122 over HVAC control network 124 andlocal area network (LAN) 126. LAN 126 may connect with network 120 usingaccess point 116 to provide additional communication avenues for devicesin HVAC system 100 to communicate with control server 118 and remotedevice 122.

Control unit 102 a represents any ports or connections, real or virtual,including any suitable hardware and/or software, including protocolconversion and data processing capabilities to facilitate communicationbetween RSBus 108 a and other wired and wireless components of HVACsystem 100. For example, control unit 102 a may facilitate communicationbetween interactive display 114 and HVAC unit 104 a by receiving acontrol command from interactive display over LAN 126 and communicatingthe command to HVAC unit 104 a using RSBus 108 a. Furthermore, controlunit 102 a may communicate with other control units 102 b-n that may bepresent in HVAC system 100. As explained in detail in FIGS. 7 and 8,control unit 102 a may comprise a number of interfaces and ports tofacilitate communication between HVAC units 104 a and 106 a and theother elements of system 100. Furthermore, one or more applications mayoperate to control and process data between devices in HVAC system 100.

HVAC units 104 a and 106 a represent any HVAC components that provideHVAC services in HVAC system 100. HVAC services may include, but are notlimited to, heating, cooling, humidification, dehumidification, and aircirculation. For example, HVAC system 100 may be a residential HVACsystem. In this example, HVAC unit 104 a may represent an airconditioning unit that may include a compressor and condenser coils.HVAC unit 106 a may be a furnace for providing heat to the home.

In some embodiments, HVAC units 104 a and 106 a may be part of acommercial refrigerant system or an industrial HVAC system. Although theillustrated embodiment shows that control unit 102 a communicates withboth HVAC unit 104 a and HVAC unit 106 a over RSbus 108 a, control unit102 a may communicate with a single HVAC unit or multiple HVAC units.

RSBus 108 communicatively couples control unit 102 with one or more HVACunits 104 and 106. As explained in FIGS. 7 and 8, RSBus 108 may be wiredor wireless. In one embodiment, RSBus 108 a is a wired serial busproviding communications between control unit 102 a and HVAC units 104 aand 106 a. RSBus 108 a may also connect control units 102 a-n. Incertain embodiments, RSBus 108 a operates using Controller Area Network(CAN) transceivers. RSBus 108 may implement a 2-, 3-, or 4-wire network.Depending on the environment of system 100 (i.e., residential,industrial, commercial), RSBus 108 may use different protocols tocommunicate between HVAC units 104 a, 106 a and control unit 102 a.RSBus 108 may use an RS-BUS protocol in a home HVAC system. In acommercial refrigeration system, control unit 102 a may communicate overRSBus 108 using a universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) totransmit using a communication standard such as RS-232, RS-422, andRS-485.

Although illustrated as a wired connection, RSBus 108 a may be awireless bus communicating between HVAC units 104 a, 106 a and controlunit 102 a. RSBus 108 a may use any suitable number of wireless oroptical communication protocols depending on the environment of system100, including Bluetooth, ZigBee, an 802.11 standard, or any otherappropriate protocol. In some scenarios, RSBus 108 represents anEthernet or fiber optic connection between HVAC units 104 a, 106 a andcontrol unit 102 a. In certain embodiments, RSBus 108 may operate usingHVAC control network 124 and LAN 126.

User device 110 represents one or more laptops, personal computers,monitors, display devices, handheld devices, smartphones, user inputdevices, or other suitable components for enabling a user to interactwith control unit 102 a in system 100. User device 110 may connect withcontrol unit 102 a using an application 111 on a graphical userinterface (GUI) provided by user device 110. The GUI may displayapplication 111 allowing a user to interact with control device 102 ainstead of using interactive display 114. Control unit 102 a maycommunicate alerts, messages, and notices to user device 110. Forexample, control unit 102 a may detect that HVAC unit 104 a needsservice. Control unit 102 a may transmit the service notice to userdevice 110 a to notify the HVAC unit owner of the need to service HVACunit 104 a.

Sensor 112 represents any device capable of providing environmental andoperational data to control units 102. For example, sensors 112 maycomprise temperature sensors, humidity sensors, and carbon monoxidedetectors. Commercial or industrial HVAC systems may include heat pumptemperature sensors, industrial fan sensors, a refrigeration defrostsensor, and air quality sensor, or any other suitable device operable todetect and communicate environmental and operational conditions. Sensors112 may combine one or more sensors and detectors within a single sensor112.

Control unit 102 a may communicate with sensors 112 to receive dataabout the location of sensor 112. For example, sensors 112 in a homeHVAC system may provide environmental data including ambienttemperature, humidity, and carbon monoxide level. In some embodiments,sensor 112 may detect the noise level of the room and prioritize HVACservices to rooms currently being used. As explained in detail in FIGS.2 and 8, control unit 102 a may include one or more applications 840that interact with the devices of HVAC system 100 to provideintelligent, targeted HVAC services. Embodiments of the presentdisclosure may lead to a reduction in energy consumption throughadaptive scheduling of HVAC units 104 and 106.

As described in FIG. 2, HVAC system 100 may be implemented in a home.Sensors 112 may be placed throughout parts of HVAC system 100. Controlunit 102 a may receive environmental data from sensors 112 located in amaster bedroom, living room, kitchen, and basement. In some embodiments,the location of sensors 112 correspond to specific zones in the home.For instance, a first floor may be designated as a first zone havingsensors 112 a, 112 b, and 112 c, while a second floor may be designatedas a second zone having sensors 112 d, 112 e, and 112 f. Control unit102 a may recognize which sensors 112 a-f are associated with whichzone, and may control an HVAC unit 104 a specifically targeted to theproper zone.

Interactive display 114 represents any device that allows a user to viewand interact with control units 102, HVAC units 104 and 106, and sensors112. Interactive display 114 may show a variety of information to theuser. For example, interactive display 114 may show the ambienttemperature measured by sensors 112 as well as the rooms and zonescontrol units 102 service. Interactive display 114 may also displayinformation about HVAC units 104 and 106 such as their respectiveoperating capacities, HVAC dealer information, and expected usefullifetime. Interactive display 114 may also allow a user to setup anoperating schedule for control units 102. For example, a user may selectthe temperature range for each zone to maintain during different timesof the day.

Interactive display 114 may be any device operable to displayinformation regarding system 100. For example, interactive display 114may be a touch screen with a liquid crystal or OLED display. In certainembodiments, interactive display 114 corresponds to a specific controlunit 102. However, as discussed in FIGS. 2 and 3, embodiments of thepresent disclosure may allow each interactive display 114 to communicatewith other control units 102 in HVAC system 100. Although described inan example embodiment as a touch screen device, interactive display 114may be any device that allows a user to interact and control HVAC unit104 a and 106 a.

Control server 118 may be a network server, remote server, mainframe,host computer, workstation, web server, personal computer, file server,or any other suitable device operable to communicate with control units102, user device 110, remote device 122 and process data. Control unit102 a may communicate with control server 118 using network 120 byconnecting to access point 116 using LAN 126. Once connected, controlserver 118 may register control unit 102 a and upload control unit 102 awith updated firmware. Control server 118 may also facilitatecommunication between user device 110 and control unit 102 a when userdevice 110 is operating remotely. For instance, if a user is at work andwishes to set the temperature of his home, the user may transmit atemperature set point to control server 118 over network 120. Controlserver 118 may then communicate the temperature set point to controlunit 102 a. As explained in FIGS. 9-12, control server 118 may provide anumber of services to enhance the operation of control units 102 andfacilitation communications with user devices 110 and remote device 122.

Remote device 122 represents one or more laptops, personal computers,monitors, display devices, handheld devices, smartphones, user inputdevices, or other suitable components for enabling a remote user tointeract with control units 102 in system 100. As described in FIGS. 2and 5, remote device 122 can be used by an HVAC dealer to communicatewith control server 118 and control unit 102 a to troubleshoot issues inHVAC system 100. The HVAC dealer may communicate with control server 118using remote device 122 to identify operating parameters associated withHVAC unit 104 a and 106 a. In some embodiments a technician may useremote device 122 to connect with control unit 102 a to diagnose issueswith HVAC units 104 a and 106 a. In certain embodiments, a user mayaccess remote device 122 to log into to HVAC system 100 from a remotelocation such as an office building.

Access point 116 represents any device that allows control units 102,user device 110, sensors 112, and interactive display 114 to connect tonetwork 120 using LAN 126. In some embodiments, LAN 126 is a wirelessLAN (WLAN). Access point 116 may use any appropriate communicationstandard to facilitate the networking of devices in HVAC system 100.Access point 116 may be a wireless access point using a Wi-Fi (IEEE802.11), Bluetooth, ZigBee (IEEE 802.15.4), Near Field communication(NFC), WiMAX (IEEE 802.16) standard or any other suitable communicationstandard. As described in FIG. 6, HVAC system 100 may comprise one ormore access points 116 to provide greater coverage for a geographicallydisperse HVAC system. Furthermore, access point 116 may include one ormore wireless extension points (not shown) to extend the range of LAN126. In some embodiments, access point 116 may connect with or include arouter and Ethernet switch, thus providing devices connected to LAN 126with access to network 120.

HVAC control network 124 represents any suitable communication networkthat facilitates the exchange of data among control units 102 and theother devices of HVAC system 100. In some embodiments, control units 102may establish HVAC control network 124 without the need for additional,external equipment. For example, HVAC control network 124 may use anumber of wireless communication standards such as Wi-Fi Peer-to-Peer(P2P) (i.e., Wi-Fi Direct), Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS), Wi-Fi SimpleConfiguration (WSC) Push Button Configuration, and IEEE 802.11 g/n. Asdescribed in FIG. 5, HVAC control network 124 may operate as a wirelessad-hoc network requiring minimal configuration to establish efficientcommunication links between control units 102 and other devices in HVACsystem 100. One or more devices in HVAC system 100 may include hardwareand software that allow the devices to operate as software enabledaccess points (SoftAP). For instance, control units 102 may be embeddedwith a softAP to facilitate Wi-Fi direct communication between otherdevices in HVAC system 100, thus creating HVAC network 124. For example,control unit 102 a may communicate with control unit 102 b to establishHVAC control network 124 by communicating using a Wi-Fi direct protocol,optimized link state routing protocol (OLSR), destination-sequenceddistance vector routing (DSDV), or any other suitable communicationprotocol.

As explained in FIGS. 5-6, control units 102 may establish andcommunicate over HVAC control network 124 even if access to network 120is unavailable. Once control unit 102 a connects with control unit 102 busing HVAC control network 124, control unit 102 a may detect thepresence of HVAC units 104 b and 106 b, which may be communicativelycoupled to control unit 102 b over RSBus 108 b. Control units 102 mayalso use HVAC control network 124 to communicate over HVAC controlnetwork 124 with interactive display 114, sensors 112, and user device110. Accordingly, HVAC control network 124 may allow system 100 to be arobust distributed HVAC system capable of communication and interactionwith multiple control units 102.

In addition to communicating using HVAC control network 124, controlunit 102 a may communicate with control unit 102 b as well as userdevices 110, sensors 112, and interactive display 114 using LAN 126created by access point 116. In some embodiments, control unit 102 a mayoperate concurrently over HVAC control network 124 and LAN 126. Asexplained in FIGS. 5-6, operating over concurrent communication channelsmay create a resilient HVAC system that provides unique communicationand troubleshooting solutions to issues typically found in HVAC systems.

Network 120 represents any suitable network operable to facilitatecommunication between access point 116, control server 118, remotedevice 122, and user device 110. Network 120 may include anyinterconnecting system capable of transmitting audio, video, signals,data, messages, or any combination of the preceding. Network 120 mayinclude all or a portion of a public switched telephone network (PSTN),a public or private data network, a local area network (LAN), ametropolitan area network (MAN), a wide area network (WAN), a local,regional, or global communication or computer network such as theInternet, a wireline, fiber-optic, or wireless network, an enterpriseintranet, or any other suitable communication link, includingcombinations thereof operable to facilitate communication between thecomponents.

Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to system 100 withoutdeparting from the scope of the disclosure. For example, in certainembodiments system 100 may lack a access point 116. Control unit 102 amay include an Ethernet port to connect to network 120 without the useof access point 116. In another embodiment, HVAC control network 124 maybe Wi-Fi hotspot. Any suitable logic may perform the functions of system100 and the components within system 100.

Initializing and Configuring HVAC System 100

To illustrate the advantages of HVAC system 100, the following figuresand examples provide a number of technical benefits that improve theoperation and communication of control units 102, HVAC units 104, andother devices in HVAC system 100. As FIGS. 2-4 detail, when controlunits 102 identify and connect to one another in HVAC system 100, it isbeneficial for control units 102 to exchange their preexisting knowledgeof HVAC system 100. By exchanging and replicating settings that areuniversal to HVAC system 100, control units 102 may streamline theinstallation of complex, distributed systems. By sharing informationthrough HVAC system 100, user updates may replicate across all controlunits 102 simply by implementing changes on an individual system.Furthermore, operational updates received from control server 118 ormanual uploads from a USB connection may be disseminated throughout HVACsystem 100, reducing the communication resources that would otherwise bespent connecting to each control unit 102 in HVAC system 100.

To illustrate the advantageous operation of HVAC system 100, FIG. 2describes how control units 102 may operate in a residential environmentto provide an efficient distribution of system parameters and configureresponsibilities for providing HVAC services. FIG. 2 is an examplediagram 200 of a home 210 having interoperable HVAC control units 102.Embodiments of FIG. 2 provide novel solutions to the provisioning andcontrolling of multiple zones in home 210 by using a distributed HVACsystem 100, regardless of how many control units 102 a-n service thesystem.

To visualize the benefits of HVAC system 100, the layout of home 210will first be described. This may show how control units 102 and theother devices of HVAC system 100 facilitate responsibilities in anexample environment. Once the layout of home 210 is detailed, theconfiguration of control unit responsibility and setting replicationwill be discussed.

Home 210 comprises an attic 298, first zone 220, a second zone 250, anda basement 280. First zone 220 includes upstairs bathroom 230 and abedroom 240. First zone 220 includes sensors 112 a, 112 b, andinteractive display 114 a. Second zone 250 includes a laundry room 260,a downstairs bathroom 265, and a living room 270. Second zone includes asensor 112 c, an interactive display 114 b, and a access point 116 inliving room 270.

In the illustrated embodiment, home 210 includes basement 280 comprisinga first HVAC unit 104 a and a second HVAC unit 104 b. Basement 280 mayalso include a first control unit 102 a and a second control unit 102 b.First HVAC unit 104 a may provide heating and/or cooling to first zone220 through vents 296 while second HVAC unit 104 b may provide heatingand/or cooling to second zone 250 through vents 292.

First control unit 102 a may be communicatively coupled to sensors 112a, 112 b, and interactive display 114 a using wired or wirelessconnections. First control unit 102 a may communicate with HVAC unit 104a, to control the temperature of first zone 220. Second control unit 102b may be communicatively coupled to sensor 112 c and interactive display114 b. Second control unit 102 b may communicate with HVAC unit 104 b tocontrol the temperature of second zone 250.

Although the illustrated embodiment shows first control unit 102 a andsecond control unit 102 b both located in basement 280, this arrangementmay not be possible for all homes. For example, home 210 may not havebasement 280. Instead, first control unit 102 a and second control unit102 b may be located in attic 298, in a closet, or outside home 210. Asanother example, in embodiments where first control unit 102 a is wiredto interactive display 114 a, first control unit 102 a may be located inattic 298 to be closer to sensors 112 a, 112 b, and interactive display114 a, while second control unit 102 b is located in basement 280 to becloser to sensors 112 c and interactive display 114 b.

In some embodiments, home 210 may only have one control unit 102 a. Ifthe homeowner decides to add another HVAC unit 104 b, the homeowner willhave flexibility in where the associated control unit 102 b may beplaced. Thus, embodiments of the present disclosure not only allow forthe creation of a distributed HVAC system but also for flexibility inthe installation of HVAC units 104 and associated control units 102. Asdescribed in FIG. 5, in some embodiments when first control unit 102 ais activated, it may search for an existing HVAC control network. If apre-existing HVAC control network does not exist, first control unit 102a may create HVAC control network 124 as an ad hoc network and operateas a standalone access point. When second control unit 102 b isactivated, it may search for HVAC control network 124, discover the adhoc HVAC control network 124 previously created by first control unit102 a, and join HVAC control network 124. Although in the illustratedembodiment HVAC control network 124 is a wireless network, HVAC controlnetwork 124 may be any network that facilitates communication betweencontrol units 102 and other devices of HVAC system 100.

Zone Management of a Distributed HVAC System

It may be advantageous for first control unit 102 a and second controlunit 102 b to exchange information regarding the HVAC services eachcontrol unit 102 provides in HVAC system 100. By learning what servicesother control units 102 provide and where they provide those serviceswithin HVAC system 100, each control unit 102 may update its owndevices, such as interactive displays 114, to allow a user to controlHVAC services to any part of HVAC system 100.

In the illustrated embodiment first control unit 102 a may use a Wi-Fidirect protocol to detect and connect with second control unit 102 b toform HVAC control network 124. In some embodiments, first control unit102 a and second control unit 102 b may first attempt to connect to anyavailable local networks upon being activated. For example, if home 210is equipped with LAN 126, first control device 102 a and second controldevice 102 b may first connect over the LAN 126.

Once connected, it may be advantageous for first control unit 102 a andsecond control unit 102 b to communicate the type of HVAC services thateach control unit 102 provides, and what parts of HVAC system 100receive those services. For example, first control unit 102 a maycommunicate to second control unit 102 b that first control unit 102 amanages HVAC unit 104 a and provides HVAC services to first zone 220. Asexplained below, this may be accomplished in different ways.

Upon connecting over HVAC control network 124 and/or LAN 126, controlunits 102 may exchange operational information regarding the HVAC units104 and 106 that each control unit 102 manages. For instance, to conveythe type of HVAC unit that second control unit 102 b manages, secondcontrol unit 102 b may communicate the serial number of HVAC unit 104 bto first control unit 102 a. Different types of HVAC units 104 may haveidentifiers within their serial number to identify the type of servicethe HVAC unit provides. Thus, in the illustrated embodiment, once firstcontrol unit 102 a receives the serial number, first control unit 102 amay then determine that HVAC unit 104 b is a furnace. Control unit 102 bmay communicate other related information regarding HVAC unit 104 b suchas its maximum heat output (expressed in BTUs, Joules, or any otherappropriate measurement). Similarly, depending on the type of HVAC unit104, information such as airflow capacity and operational fan speeds maybe communicated between control units 102. In some embodiments, controlunits may use a protocol comprising a list of all HVAC units 104,sensors 112, and interactive displays 114 connected to the control unit.

In some embodiments, second control unit 102 b may communicate aninstallation report to first control unit 102 a. The installation reportdetails the type of HVAC units 104 connected to control unit 102 b andthe names of locations serviced by control unit 102 b. Some or all ofthe installation report may be entered by a technician or customized bya homeowner. For example, a homeowner may enter the names of the roomsserviced by control unit 102 b, or a technician may enter default nameswhen setting up HVAC system 100. Furthermore, one or more rooms may belinked together to form a zone as shown in diagram 200. Thus, in theillustrated embodiment, a technician or homeowner may enter ininteractive display 114 b, that control unit 102 b provides HVACservices for laundry room 260, bathroom 265, and living room 270.Furthermore, the technician or homeowner may group these rooms togetheras second zone 250.

After first control unit 102 a determines the HVAC abilities of secondcontrol unit 102 b, it may communicate the information to interactivedisplay 114 a. Once updated, interactive display 114 a may show therooms and/or zones covered by second control unit 102 b in addition tothe rooms and/or zones covered by first control unit 102 a. Furthermore,first control unit 102 a may also receive data from sensor 112 c, andprovide the ability to control the HVAC services provided by HVAC unit104 b.

For example, first control unit 102 a may receive the temperature ofliving room 270 provided by sensor 112 c. First control unit 102 a mayrelay this temperature information to interactive display 114 a. In thismanner, a homeowner may view the temperature readings in any zone ofhome 210.

Second control unit 102 b may also update interactive display 114 b toreflect the presence of first HVAC unit 104 a and first zone 220. Inthis manner, the separate and isolated HVAC systems may operate as adistributed HVAC system, allowing the homeowner to view and controlfirst HVAC unit 104 a and second HVAC unit 104 b from a single device(e.g., interactive display 114 a or user device 110).

After interactive display 114 a is updated to include second zone 250, ahomeowner may adjust the temperature of second zone 250 from interactivedisplay 114 a, even though interactive display 114 a is associated withfirst zone 220. For example, first control unit 102 a may receivetemperature adjust commands from interactive display 114 a that requestsa temperature change for second zone 250. First control unit 102 a mayrecognize that the command is for second control unit 102 b, andcommunicate the temperature adjust command to second control unit 102 busing HVAC control network 124 and/or LAN 126.

In some embodiments, first control unit 102 a may associate second zone250 with control unit 102 b upon receiving the initial exchange of HVACservice information with control unit 102 b. Any changes requested tosecond zone 250 may then be associated with second control unit 102 b.In this manner, if HVAC system 100 has multiple control units 102, firstcontrol unit 102 a may simply forward requests made through interactivedisplay 114 a to the proper control unit based on the associations madeduring the initial information exchange.

Once first control unit 102 a forwards the temperature adjust commandsto second control unit 102 b, second control unit 102 b may thencommunicate the command to second HVAC device 104 b to adjust thetemperature of second zone 250 according to the temperature adjustcommand.

In addition to communicating with interactive displays 114, embodimentsof FIG. 2 may also allow a user to control HVAC system 100 from one ormore user devices 110. For example, home 210 may have a LAN 126generated by access point 116. Access point 116 may connect to network120 using, for example, an Ethernet connection. As explained in FIG. 5,first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b may join LAN 126.Once connected to the LAN 126, first control unit 102 a may discoveruser device 110.

User device 110 may run application 111 on a GUI presented by userdevice 110. If control unit 102 a and user device 110 have never beenconnected, the homeowner may use application 111 to find and connectwith control unit 102 a. For example, application 111 may populate alist of available control units 102 that user device 110 may connectwith. In some embodiments, it may be beneficial to conserve resourcesand only connect with and disseminate commands through control unit 102a. This may beneficially transfer the resource demands from user device110 to first control unit 102 a. If user device 110 and control units102 have previously been connected, user device 110 may automaticallyconnect with control units 102 upon detecting them on LAN 126.

Once first control unit 102 a and user device 110 are connected, ahomeowner may use user device 110 to control HVAC system 100.Application 111 may provide the homeowner with a number of commands toadjust the services provided by HVAC units 104 a and 104 b. For example,the homeowner may transmit a temperature adjust command over LAN 126 tofirst control unit 102 a to change the temperature of living room 270,which is within second zone 250. First control unit 102 a may receivethe temperature adjust command from user device 110, recognize that thecommand is for living room 270, which is in second zone 250 controlledby second control unit 102 b, and communicate the temperature adjustcommand to second control unit 102 b over LAN 126. Second control unit102 b may then communicate the command to second HVAC device 104 b toadjust the temperature of living room 270. Accordingly, a user maycontrol the temperature in multiple rooms of home 210 despite beinglocated in a zone that does not include the room where the temperatureis adjusted.

In certain situations, second control unit 102 b may disconnect from theLAN 126 and/or HVAC control network 124. For example, second controlunit 102 b may experience a malfunction with one or more of itsinterfaces that provide wireless communications. In some embodiments,second control unit 102 b may disconnect while it receives a firmwareupgrade causing a temporary interruption in communication. Once secondcontrol unit 102 b disconnects from first control unit 102 a, a user maylose the ability to control the entire HVAC system 100 from anylocation. Therefore it is necessary to efficiently inform the user whensecond control unit 102 b disconnects from first control unit 102 a.

First control unit 102 a may lose communications with second controlunit 102 b if second control unit 102 b disconnects from LAN 126 and/orHVAC control network 124. In response, first control unit 102 a mayupdate interactive display 114 a to show that second control unit 102 bis disconnected. In some embodiments, first control unit 102 a mayupdate first interactive display 114 a with the communication networksthat each control unit 102 is connected to. Thus, if second control unit102 b disconnects from one or both of HVAC control network 124 and LAN126, first control unit 102 a may update interactive display 114 a withthe specific network(s) that second control unit 102 b has disconnectedfrom. Interactive display 114 a may then stop showing second zone 250.

First control unit 102 a may also alert user device 110 that secondcontrol unit 102 b is disconnected from the LAN 126 and/or HVAC controlnetwork 124. This may allow the homeowner to investigate why secondcontrol device 102 b disconnected from the LAN 126. In some embodiments,second control unit 102 b may be experiencing operational issues withits ability to communicate over HVAC control network 124 whilemaintaining its ability to communicate over LAN 126. In this situation,second control unit 102 b may attempt to independently connect with userdevice 110 using LAN 126 or HVAC control network 102 b.

In some embodiments, second control unit 102 b may alert first controlunit 102 a that it is disconnecting from the LAN 126 and that firstcontrol unit 102 a should instead communicate with second control unit102 b over HVAC control network 124. Additionally or alternatively,second control unit 102 b may communicate an alert to first control unit102 a that second control unit 102 b is completely disconnecting fromboth the LAN 126 and HVAC control network 124.

In some embodiments, user device 110 may be equipped to communicate withfirst control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b over HVAC controlnetwork 124. For example, user device 110 may have the ability to useWi-Fi direct. User device 110 may connect to first control unit 102 ausing Wi-Fi direct to join HVAC control network 124. Once joined to HVACcontrol network 124, user device 110 may communicate temperature controlcommands to first control unit 102 a and/or second control unit 102 bover HVAC control network 124.

In addition to updating interactive displays 114 with zone information,control units 102 may also provide interactive displays 114 withenvironmental data provided by sensors 112. For example, sensors 112 aand 112 b may connect to first control unit 102 a over HVAC controlnetwork 124 using Wi-Fi direct. Sensor 112 b may measure the ambienttemperature of bedroom 240 and communicate the ambient temperature tofirst control unit 102 a. First control unit 102 a may also communicatethe ambient temperature to interactive display 114 a. First control unit102 a may also forward the ambient temperature information to secondcontrol unit 102 b so that interactive display 114 b may be updated withthe ambient temperatures of first zone 220.

In some embodiments, first control unit 102 a may also compare theambient temperature received from sensors 112 a and 112 b to atemperature set point to determine whether bedroom 112 b is within apreset temperature range. If the ambient temperature is outside thepreset range, first control unit 102 a may send a temperature command tofirst HVAC unit 104 a to adjust the temperature in bedroom 240.

As another example, basement 280 may have sensor 112 d (not pictured)that is a carbon monoxide detector. Sensor 112 d may detect that thelevels of carbon monoxide in basement 280 are at an unsafe level andcommunicate an alert to first control unit 102 a. Control unit 102 a mayrespond to the alert by shutting first HVAC unit 104 a off, and sendingan alert to user device 110 notifying the homeowner of the high levelsof carbon monoxide.

Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to diagram 200without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example, firstcontrol unit 102 a may control more than one zone and may control morethan one HVAC unit 104.

Timing Diagram of HVAC Communications

To further illustrate how first control unit 102 a and second controlunit 102 b advantageously operate in HVAC system 100, FIGS. 3 and 4provide example timing diagrams that show how control unit 102 a andcontrol unit 102 b replicate settings upon connecting in HVAC system100. FIGS. 3 and 4 also provide additional embodiments of the exampleprotocols used between control units 102 when a user provides a commandto interactive display 114 a that is meant for control unit 102 b. Thefollowing timing diagrams thus illustrate the technical benefits ofexpanded data viewing and equipment control when control units 102cooperate in HVAC system 100.

FIG. 3 is an example timing diagram 300 showing how control units 102may connect and replicate settings before updating zone control in HVACsystem 100. Embodiments of timing diagram 300 provide a uniform HVACsystem 100 amongst control units 102.

In the illustrated embodiment, timing diagram 300 comprises firstcontrol unit 102 a, second (sibling) control unit 102 b, firstinteractive display 114 a, second interactive display 114 b, and user310. Although not shown in FIG. 3, first and second control units 102 aand 102 b may each be coupled to one or more HVAC units 104 and 106,sensors 112, and user devices 110 over one or more networks 124 and 126,as described and illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Timing diagram 300 starts at time 312, wherein first control unit 102 aand second control unit 102 b have yet to connect. Prior to discoveringsibling control units 102, first control unit 102 a may handle HVACservices for first zone 220 as indicated by zone notice 914. Firstcontrol unit 102 a may recognize devices in first zone 220 such assensors 112 a and 112 b, as well as first interactive display 114 a.First control unit 102 a may update first interactive display 114 a withzone notice 318. First interactive display 114 may show informationregarding first zone 220, such as temperature readings from sensors 112a and 112 b. First interactive display 114 a may also allow user 310 tocontrol HVAC settings for first zone 220.

Similarly, second control unit 102 b may handle HVAC services for secondzone 250 as indicated by zone notice 316. Second control unit 102 b mayrecognize devices in second zone 250 such as sensor 112 c and secondinteractive display 114 b. Second control unit 102 b may update secondinteractive display 114 b with zone notice 320 so second interactivedisplay 114 b may show information regarding second zone 250.Information may include temperature readings from sensor 112 c or HVACsettings for second zone 250.

Thus, first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b initiallyoperate as siloed information systems. This is typically the extent thattraditional HVAC systems operate. However, as explained below, firstcontrol unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b may operate to provideuser 310 with expanded control over the entire HVAC system 100 from asingle device.

At time 322, first control unit 102 a discovers the presence of secondcontrol unit 102 b in HVAC system 100. As explained in FIG. 5, controlunit 102 a may detect and connect with second control unit 102 b overHVAC control network 124 using any appropriate communication protocol(e.g., Wi-Fi direct). Additionally or alternatively, first control unit102 a may initially connect with second control unit 102 b over LAN 126generated by access point 116.

Replicating Shared Settings

When first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b firstconnect, it may be beneficial for control units 102 to synchronizesettings that are universal to HVAC system 100. Replicating settingsamongst sibling control units 102 may provide a number of advantages notrecognized in existing HVAC systems. For example, replicating universalsettings may reduce the time it takes to install each individual controlunit 102. A technician may activate each control unit 102, allowing eachcontrol unit 102 to begin recognizing other control units 102 in HVACsystem 100. Once two or more control units 102 connect, they may beginreplicating universal settings. This may prevent the technician fromhaving to manually install settings at each control unit 102.Furthermore, if HVAC system 100 has multiple control units 102, a usermay update settings on a single control unit 102 and the settings mayupdate for the entire HVAC system. In large or geographically dispersesystems, this may reduce the number of communication resources requiredto make system updates, and reduce the operational costs required whenmanually setting up HVAC systems.

As an illustrative example, control units 102 may operate using aplurality of local settings as well as a plurality of universalsettings. Universal settings may be any setting that is common acrossHVAC system 100. As an example, and not by way of limitation, universalsettings may include, a premise or facility address, occupancy settingsfor zones (is a room/zone occupied or unoccupied), the name and contactinformation for the dealer of HVAC units 104 and control units 102, airquality levels, dehumidification, a preferred temperature scale (e.g., °C., ° F.), a preferred language, settings for HVAC control network 124and LAN 126 (e.g., access point name and password), time zone, operatingschedules, and a daylight saving time indicator among others. Localsettings may include a control unit specific password, operatingparameters for HVAC units 104 and 106, firmware operating revision, andany other setting that may be local to a single control unit 102.

To facilitate the intelligent replication of settings in HVAC system100, control units 102 may each have an internal clock that allows eachcontrol unit 102 to time stamp when changes are made to HVAC systemsettings. This allows each control unit 102 to create a record of when asetting was changed, and in some embodiments, who changed the setting(e.g., technician, user, HVAC dealer). When first control unit 102 a andsecond control unit 102 b connect, they may first compare theirrespective internal clocks to ensure that they are operating on the sametime. In certain embodiments, control units 102 may operate using acommon timing protocol such as coordinated universal time (UTC).

If first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b have differentinternal clock times, first control unit 102 a and second control unit102 b may synchronize their times. Control units 102 may synchronizeclocks in a number of ways. For example, first control unit 102 a maycommunicate with control server 118 and request a common clock time foreach control unit 102 in the HVAC system. In some embodiments, firstcontrol unit 102 a may simply update control unit 102 b with its owncontrol clock time.

After synchronizing clocks, first control unit 102 a and second controlunit 102 b may replicate one or more settings by sending settingsupdates 322 a and 322 b. For example, first control unit 102 a mayreceive a first setting update 322 b from second control unit 102 b overHVAC control network 124 and/or LAN 126. First control unit 102 a maythen determine whether the first setting update is a universal setting.

To determine whether the first setting is a universal setting, firstcontrol unit 102 a may compare the first setting to a list ofpredetermined universal settings. For instance, first control unit 102 amay search its memory to determine if first setting is stored as auniversal setting. As another example, control unit 102 a may comparethe first setting to a list of pre-approved universal settings. In someembodiments the list of approved settings may be set by the manufacturerof control unit 102 a. In some embodiments, a user may be able to addand remove settings to the universal settings list.

If first setting is a universal setting, first control unit 102 a maynext determine whether the first setting received from second controlunit 102 b takes priority over the stored universal setting. This may beaccomplished by comparing the time stamps of the received first settingcompared to the stored universal setting. In some embodiments, certainusers may have higher privileges in HVAC system 100. Changes made tosettings by privileged users may take priority over setting updates fromusers without the same or higher privileges.

If the received first setting time has a newer time stamp (i.e., wasupdated more recently) than the stored setting time, first control unit102 a may update the universal settings database with the received firstsetting update. If the stored universal setting has a more recent timestamp, first control unit 102 a may maintain the existing setting.Furthermore, first control unit 102 a may recognize that second controlunit 102 b is operating using an older setting and communicate thestored universal setting to second control unit 102 b.

As an illustration, first control unit 102 a may have a stored universalsetting for a preferred temperature scale. On Jan. 1, 2015, at 10:03a.m. CST, user may choose to set the temperature scale to Fahrenheit.First control unit 102 a may time stamp this change in any appropriatemanner to indicate the time the update was made. The user may later addsecond control unit 102 b to the HVAC system already running firstcontrol unit 102 a. The user may set second control unit 102 b to theCelsius temperature scale on Jan. 15, 2015, at 9:15 a.m. CST. Secondcontrol unit 102 b may connect with first control unit 102 a, confirmthat their respective clocks are the same, and begin sharing universalsettings.

Second control unit 102 b may transfer the preferred temperature scale(Celsius) to first control unit 102 a. First control unit 102 a maydetermine that temperature scale is a universal setting and thendetermine that the temperature preference for control unit 102 b wasupdated more recently than the temperature preference already stored inmemory. First control unit 102 a may then update its temperature scalepreference to Celsius to reflect the most recent preferences of theuser. Although described as updating a universal temperature setting,control units 102 may replicate changes made to other universal settingsin a similar manner.

In some embodiments, first control unit 102 a may recognize that thefirst setting update sent by second control unit 102 b is a factorysetting. First control unit 102 a may then transmit the universalsettings stored in memory to update the factory settings of secondcontrol unit 102 b. In certain embodiments, control units 102 may haveseparate databases for local settings and universal settings. In someembodiments, control unit 102 a may allocate separate portions of memoryspecifically for local settings and universal settings.

In some embodiments, control server 118 may be used to communicateupdated settings to first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102b. For example, first control unit 102 a may connect to control server118 over network 120 using access point 116. Control server 118 maytransmit an updated universal setting to first control unit 102 a. Insome embodiments, the updated universal setting may be part of a HVACsystem 100 update, wherein multiple changes may be made to the settingsof control units 102. In certain embodiments, the updated universalsetting may be sent from an HVAC dealer from remote device 122. Firstcontrol unit 102 a may receive the updated setting and determine that itis a universal setting. First control unit 102 a may update its ownuniversal settings database with the updated setting and then transmitthe universal setting to second control unit 102 b using HVAC controlnetwork 124 and/or LAN 126.

A user may change a universal setting for first control unit 102 a usinginteractive display 114 a. First control unit 102 a may receive theupdated setting, determine that it is a universal setting, store theupdated setting in memory, and transmit the updated universal setting tocontrol unit 102 b. In some embodiments, the user may change a localsetting with first interactive display 114 a, such as a password toaccess control unit 102 a. Control unit 102 a may receive the updatedlocal setting, determine that the local setting is not a universalsetting, and store the local setting in memory without transmitting thelocal setting update to control unit 102 b. In this manner, controlunits 102 may limit setting replication to settings that are universalto HVAC system 100.

After control units 102 replicate settings, they may begin updatingother system devices and applications regarding the discovered controlunit 102. First control unit 102 a may send sibling update command 324to first interactive display 114 a. First interactive display 114 a mayupdate the zones that are displayed on its screen using sibling notice328. First interactive display 114 a may display second zone 250, andeach room that is within second zone 250. First interactive display 114a may also update the display with any additional information aboutsecond zone 250, such as the presence of sensors 112 c, sensor 112 creadings, and HVAC unit 104 b. In a similar manner, control unit 102 bmay send sibling update command 326 to second interactive display 114 bto update the zones and information displayed by second interactivedisplay 114 b.

After interactive displays 114 update their respective screens toinclude the presence of zones 220 and 250, user 310 may use interactivedisplay 114 a to send command 332 to change a setting of second zone250. For example, interactive display 114 a may display a list of zonesavailable for a user to interact with. For instance, interactive display114 a may display first zone 220 and second zone 250 on its screen. Insome embodiments, interactive display 114 a may also show each room inthe zone along with a list of commands that are available for that room.For example, command 322 may be a temperature setting command, a setpoint for a specific room, a change to a universal or local setting, orany other appropriate command.

Interactive display 114 a may communicate published zone setting 334 tocontrol unit 102 a, indicating the settings changed by user 310. Controlunit 102 a may recognize that second zone 250 is handled by control unit102 b and forward published zone setting 334 to control unit 102 b.

Control unit 102 b may receive command 336 from control unit 102 aindicating user 310 requested a settings change for second zone 250.Control unit 102 b may send the appropriate command to HVAC unit 104 bto implement the settings request made by user 310. Control unit 102 bmay then send out publish status command 338 to control unit 102 a andpublish zone status command 340 to second interactive display 114 b.Interactive display 114 b may receive publish zone status command 340and update its display with zone notice 342. Control unit 102 a mayreceive published status command 338 from control unit 102 b and forwardit to first interactive display 114 a as published status command 344.First interactive display 114 a may update its screen with update notice346 for second zone 250. For example, user 310 may have requested a newtemperature set point for second zone 250. Update notice 346 mayindicate the new temperature set point for second zone 250 as requestedby user 310.

Using embodiments of FIG. 3, control units 102 may provide user 310 withenhanced control over the HVAC system with little setup or involvementby user 310. By identifying the control unit 102 that is operable tocontrol a zone setting, the functionality of FIG. 3 may be expanded tomultiple control units 102 c-n operating additional interactive displays114 c-n, and HVAC units 104 c-n. For example, although timing diagram300 shows interactive display 114 a receiving a command for control unit102 b, user 310 may additionally or alternatively use interactivedisplay 114 b to send a command to control unit 102 a. In this manner,interactive display 114 b physically located in second zone 250 may beused to adjust settings and temperatures of first zone 220.

Timing Diagram for Control Unit Disconnection

First control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b may operateunimpeded for a length of time. Should control units 102 experience abreak in communication, control units 102 may update HVAC system 100 toshow the reduction in operational ability. FIG. 4 is an example timingdiagram 400 showing how control units 102 update zone control afterlosing communication. In the illustrated embodiment, timing diagram 400starts with first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 balready discovered. Thus, FIG. 4 builds on the timing diagram describedin FIG. 3.

At time 410, second control unit 102 b disconnects from control unit 102a. Second control unit 102 b may disconnect from first control unit 102a for a number of reasons. These events may cause second control unit102 b to disconnect from HVAC control network 124 and/or LAN 126. Asdescribed in FIG. 2, second control unit 102 b may take additional stepsto alleviate issues arising from a sudden disconnection, such asalerting first control unit 102 a prior to disconnecting.

Once first control unit 102 a detects that second control unit 102 b isdisconnected, first control unit 102 a may send off-line command 412 tofirst interactive display 114 a. First interactive display 114 a may useupdate notice 416 to remove second zone 250 from its screen. Similarly,second control unit 102 b may send off-line command 414 to secondinteractive display 114 b. Second interactive display 114 b may useupdate notice 418 to remove first zone 220 from the screen of secondinteractive display 114 b.

Accordingly, control units 102 may provide user 310 with updated controlover the HVAC system when communication interruptions affect the abilityof user 310 to control different zones of the HVAC system. In someembodiments, it may be advantageous for first control unit 102 a toalert user device 110 upon disconnecting from second control unit 102 b.For example, if second control unit 102 b fails to reconnect within acertain period of time (e.g., 10 minutes), first control unit 102 a maydetermine that second control unit 102 b is malfunctioning, and may sendan alert message to user device 110. This functionality may help createa robust and resilient HVAC system 100 that responds quickly todeviations in operational performance.

Establishing and Configuring Concurrent HVAC Networks

While the foregoing figures have focused on the replication of settingsbetween control units 102, and how control units 102 work to createrobust control over each area of HVAC system 100, FIGS. 5 and 6 focus onthe one or more networks that control units 102 may create and utilizeto provide a resilient, reliable, and secure HVAC system 100.

FIG. 5 is an example diagram illustrating HVAC system 100 havingmultiple communication networks. Embodiments of FIG. 5 provide a numberof technical solutions when configuring a distributed HVAC systemcomprising a first control unit 102 a, second control unit 102 b, firstuser device 110 a, and second user device 110 b. Certain embodimentsalso provide for a resilient HVAC control network when a distributedHVAC system is operating over multiple networks. Other embodiments ofFIG. 5 provide unique troubleshooting solutions when diagnosing andremediating issues in a distributed HVAC network using remote device 122and mobile device 526.

In the illustrated embodiment, control units 102 may be setup using a“one-step” configuration process to create a distributed HVAC system100. First control unit 102 a may be communicatively coupled to firstHVAC unit 104 a and first interactive display 114 a.

When first control unit 102 a is activated, it may search for anexisting HVAC control network. If first control unit 102 a determinesthat there is not an existing HVAC control network, first control unit102 a may create HVAC control network 124 as an ad hoc network andoperate as a standalone access point. First control unit 102 a may thenbe designated as the Group Owner (GO) of HVAC control network 124. Incertain embodiments, once first control unit 102 a is designated as GO,first control unit 102 a will retain the designation of GO in future P2Pconnections. In some embodiments, first control unit 102 a may bedesignated as the registrar in HVAC control network 124, and may havethe ability to issue and revoke credentials to devices attempting toconnect to HVAC control network 124. Furthermore, control unit 102 a mayact as a persistent GO to continuously scan for additional devices onHVAC system 100.

Second control unit 102 b may be communicatively coupled to a secondHVAC unit 104 b and second interactive display 114 b. When secondcontrol unit 102 b is activated, it may search for HVAC control network124, discover the HVAC control network 124 previously created by firstcontrol unit 102 a, and connect to HVAC control network 124. Secondcontrol unit 102 b may be designated as a peer-to-peer (P2P) client offirst control unit 102 a in HVAC control network 124. Furthermore, firstcontrol unit 102 a and second control network 102 b may utilize one ormore protocols to enhance the security of HVAC control network. Forinstance, first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b mayutilize Wi-Fi Protected Setup (WPS) to ensure secure communications overHVAC control network 124.

In certain embodiments, second control unit 102 b discovers and joinsHVAC control network 124 using a Wi-Fi direct, push buttonconfiguration. For example, second control unit 102 b may comprise apush button that initiates the Wi-Fi direct protocol. When a useractivates second control unit 102 b and presses the push button, secondcontrol unit may scan for and join the previously established HVACcontrol network 124.

In some embodiments, second interactive display 114 b comprises avirtual push button icon. Second control unit 102 b may discover andjoin HVAC control network 124 using a Wi-Fi direct, push buttonconfiguration protocol in response to detecting that a user selected thevirtual push button icon. This may allow an installer to setup secondcontrol unit 102 b and then scan for HVAC control network 124 from amore convenient location (i.e., wherever second interactive display 114b is located).

Once second control unit 102 b enters push button configurationoperations, it may scan for HVAC control network 124 for a predeterminedamount of time. For instance, second control unit 102 b may scan for adefault period (e.g., 15 seconds), or a technician/homeowner may changea setting in control unit 102 b to scan for a longer period. The scanperiod may either be a local setting or a universal setting.

Instead of using a push button, first interactive display 114 a mayprompt a user to input a PIN associated with second control unit 102 b.For example, first control unit 102 a may detect, as GO, that secondcontrol unit 102 b is within range of HVAC control network 124. Firstcontrol unit 102 a may instruct interactive display 114 a to display aprompt for a user to input a PIN. The PIN may be a number associatedwith second control unit 102 b. In some embodiments, the PIN may bewritten on second control unit 102 b. Once the user inputs the PIN tofirst interactive display 114 a, second control device 102 b may connectto HVAC control network 124 and first control unit 102 a.

In certain embodiments, first control unit 102 a and second control unit102 b may utilize near field communication (NFC) to transfer PIN data.This may alleviate the need for a user to enter the PIN information intofirst interactive display 114 a.

In some embodiments, once a device connects to HVAC control network 124,first control unit 102 a and/or second control unit 102 b may store thedevice's network address in memory. This may allow efficient onboardingto HVAC control network 124 during future connection attempts should adevice become disconnected from HVAC control network 124.

Although described as using a Wi-Fi direct protocol using Wi-Fiprotected setup, HVAC control network may use any appropriate protocolthat allows devices to network together and facilitate information. Forexample, first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b may usea universal plug and play (UPnP) protocol or zero-configurationnetworking (zeroconf).

In some embodiments, control units 102 may have previously beenconnected over HVAC control network 124 and have information regardingHVAC control network 124 stored in memory. For example, third controlunit 102 c may be a legacy control unit that was once connected to HVACcontrol network 124. When third control unit 102 c is re-activated, itmay already have stored parameters associated with how to connect withHVAC control network 124, such as the SSID and PIN of HVAC controlnetwork 124. Thus, third control unit 102 c may connect to HVAC controlnetwork 124 without going through the Wi-Fi direct, push-buttonconfiguration for a second time. In certain embodiments, first controlunit 102 a may recognize third control unit 102 c as a legacy unit andsend an invitation (request) to join HVAC control network 124.

Once connected using HVAC control network 124, first control unit 102 amay designate to second control unit 102 b that HVAC control network 124be the primary communications network for these devices. In someembodiments, the preferred or primary communications network may be alocal setting or a universal setting. In certain embodiments, a user mayselect the primary communications network. Furthermore, as described inFIGS. 2-4, once first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 bjoin over HVAC control network 124, control units 102 may replicateuniversal settings and exchange information regarding the HVAC units 104and 106 that each control unit manage. First control unit 102 a mayupdate first interactive display 114 a to reflect the discoveredinformation allowing a user to control the operation of second HVAC unit104 b from first interactive display 114 a.

In addition to creating and connecting over HVAC control network 124,first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b may also searchfor other networks to facilitate communications over. For example,access point 116 may generate LAN 126. Access point 116 may include arouter and an Ethernet switch to enable devices connected to LAN 126 toconnect to network 120. LAN 126 may already exist when first controlunit 102 a is activated or it may be generated after first control unit102 a is activated.

First control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b may detect andconnect to LAN 126. For example, LAN 126 may be a WLAN using an IEEE802.11 Wi-Fi protocol (e.g., 802.11b/g/n). However, in some embodiments,LAN 126 may facilitate communications other than an 802.11 protocol,such as ZigBee or Bluetooth, among others.

Once joined to LAN 126, first control unit 102 a may re-designate HVACcontrol network 124 as the secondary communications network anddesignate LAN 126 as the primary communications network for thesedevices. In this manner, first control unit 102 a and second controlunit 102 b may be connected to, and operate concurrently, over both HVACcontrol network 124 and LAN 126.

In some embodiments, to operate concurrently over both HVAC controlnetwork 124 and LAN 126 control units 102 may communicate over HVACcontrol network 124 using a first media access control (MAC) addressassociated with an independent basic service set (IBSS) and communicateover LAN 126 using a second MAC address associated with a basic serviceset (BSS). In this manner, a Wi-Fi network (e.g., LAN 126) may use adifferent MAC address than a Wi-Fi direct network (e.g., HVAC controlnetwork 124). In some embodiments, first control unit 102 a and secondcontrol unit 102 b may communicate concurrently over HVAC controlnetwork 124 and LAN 126 using different frequencies or time-sharing thecommunication channel. In certain embodiments, the MAC addressassociated with LAN 126 may operate on a first channel and the MACaddress associated with HVAC control network 124 may operate on a secondchannel.

Operating concurrently over multiple networks may provide severaltechnical advantages. For example, first control unit 102 a may reducecongestion over LAN 126 by performing certain communications over afirst channel frequency used by LAN 126, and performing othercommunications using a second channel frequency used by HVAC controlnetwork 124. In this way, first control unit 102 a may carry out highbandwidth communications over the communications pathway that is theleast congested. Concurrent network communication may also beadvantageous if second control unit 102 b has issues connecting with LAN126 but not HVAC control network 124.

For example, first control unit 102 a may detect and connect to firstuser device 110 a and second user device 110 b, which may be connectedto LAN 126. First control unit 102 a may receive a temperature controlcommand from first user device 110 a using application 111 over LAN 126.The temperature control command may be for a zone not controlled by HVACunit 104 a. To reduce the number of communications sent over LAN 126,first control unit 102 a may transmit the temperature control command tosecond control unit 102 b over HVAC control network 124. Second controlunit 102 b may then communicate the temperature command to second HVACunit 104 b. If congestion is not an issue, or if control units 102 arenot experiencing connection issues with LAN 126, first control unit 102a and second control unit 102 b may also communicate using LAN 126(i.e., first control unit 102 a may transmit the temperature controlcommand to second control unit 102 b over LAN 126).

In addition to connecting with user devices 110 over LAN 126, it mayalso be advantageous for control units 102 to connect to control server118. If access point 116 provides access to network 120, control units102 may connect to control server 118 over network 120. Depending on theenvironment of HVAC system 100, control server 118 may connect tocontrol units 102 over the Internet. In some embodiments, HVAC system100 may be a self-contained system, and control server 118 connects withcontrol units 102 over a local intranet. As explained in greater detailin FIGS. 7 and 8, first control unit 102 a may connect to control server118 for a number of reasons. For instance, first control unit 102 a mayregister with control server 118 and receive firmware upgrades.

Operation of a Resilient HVAC System

Operating control units 102 concurrently over multiple communicationnetworks provides a number of technical benefits for HVAC system 100. Asexplained below, technical advantages of HVAC system 100 includeincreased reliability and resiliency of control unit 102 operation.Embodiments of FIG. 5 provide for uninterrupted HVAC services in lightof network failures and communication interruptions. Automatic handoverof HVAC services to one or more concurrent networks allows techniciansto diagnose issues with failing networks while maintaining HVAC servicesfor HVAC system 100.

To enable control units 102 to operate a resilient HVAC system 100,control units 102 may maintain a control unit directory. A control unitdirectory may allow each control unit 102 to have up-to-date knowledgeof sibling control units in HVAC system 100 including the networkconfiguration details on how to communicate with sibling control unitsover HVAC control network 124 and LAN 126. Furthermore, control units102 may store the configuration data needed to connect to HVAC controlnetwork 124 and LAN 126.

As an example, upon connecting to LAN 126, first control unit 102 a maystore the LAN SSID, password, and LAN status. Upon connecting to HVACcontrol network 124, first control unit 102 a may store the HVAC controlnetwork status, a group ID, and a list of group members (i.e., controlunits 102 connected over HVAC control network 124). Additionally, foreach control unit 102 that first control unit 102 a is connected to,control unit 102 a may store a MAC address, an IP address, and aglobally unique identifier (GUID) for each respective control unit 102.As explained above, in some embodiments control unit 102 a may store aMAC address for communication over HVAC control network 124 and aseparate MAC address for communication over LAN 126.

In some embodiments, to ensure that first control unit 102 a has theproper network configuration data for second control unit 102 b, firstcontrol unit 102 a may time stamp the configuration data and refresh theconfiguration data periodically. For example, first control unit 102 amay refresh the configuration data at set intervals (e.g., every fifteenminutes), and/or refresh the configuration data upon determining thatthe data is stale (e.g., the time stamp for the configuration data,either individual time stamp or collective time stamp, is more thanfifteen minutes old).

First control unit 102 a may use any appropriate protocol to transmitand receive network configuration updates. For example, first controlunit 102 a may update the network configuration information of secondcontrol unit 102 b by sending a zero configuration networking (ZCN)query to second control unit 102 b.

In certain embodiments, specific types of configuration data may bedesignated as persistent data. For example, the MAC address of siblingcontrol units 102 may be marked as persistent, indicating that firstcontrol unit 102 a should not modify a previously stored value for theMAC address assigned to a particular communications network. As anotherexample, the GUID for a particular control unit 102 may be marked aspersistent.

To ensure that control units 102 operate resiliently in HVAC system 100first control unit 102 a may take steps to inform and connect to eachcontrol unit 102 over each available communication network. For example,first control unit 102 a may be connected second control unit 102 b onlyusing HVAC control network 124, while first control unit 102 a may beconnected to third control unit 102 c only using LAN 126. To reinforcethe resiliency of HVAC system 100, first control unit 102 a may refreshthe LAN network configuration details stored in memory and communicatethe LAN network configuration details to second control unit 102 b.Second control unit 102 b may then connect to LAN 126 and connect withfirst control unit 102 a.

Similarly, first control unit 102 a may attempt to connect to thirdcontrol unit 102 c over HVAC control network 124, in addition toconnecting to third control unit 102 c over LAN 126. First control unit102 a may send third control unit 102 c a request to connect over HVACcontrol network 124. For example, first control unit 102 a may requestthat third control unit 102 c connect to HVAC control network 124 usingWPS, such as a push-button configuration. In some embodiments, thirdcontrol unit 102 c may send an prompt to third interactive display 114 cto allow a user to select a virtual push button to enable third controlunit 102 c to connect with first control unit 102 a over HVAC controlnetwork 124. In this manner, first control unit 102 a may reinforce theresiliency of HVAC system 100 by ensuring that each control unit 102 isoperable to communicate over HVAC control network 124 and LAN 126. Whileoperating concurrently over LAN 126 and HVAC control network 124, firstcontrol unit 102 a and/or second control unit 102 b may experience acommunication error with LAN 126. For example, access point 116 maysuffer an operational failure resulting in the loss of LAN 126. Asanother example, a homeowner may change the password to access LAN 126without updating control units 102 a and 102 b. This may lead to afailed authentication between control units 102 and LAN 126. In someembodiments, first control unit 102 a may detect that a communicationsignal (e.g., Wi-Fi strength), for LAN 126 is intermittent or weak andis causing communication errors in LAN 126. To maintain the distributedHVAC system 100, upon detecting a communications failure or a weaksignal in LAN 126, control units 102 may automatically handoffcommunications to HVAC control network 124. This may be accomplished byhaving first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b assume theP2P rolls created when HVAC control network 124 was originallyestablished. For instance, first control unit 102 a may retain its roleas Group Owner (GO) and second control unit 102 b may retain its role asthe P2P client. Furthermore, first control unit 102 a may communicatewith user devices 110 over HVAC control network 124, instead of usingLAN 126.

In some embodiments, upon detecting the unavailability of LAN 126, firstcontrol unit 102 a may notify second control unit 102 b of the LANfailure and designate HVAC control network 124 as the primarycommunications network. Subsequent communications among devices in HVACsystem 100 are then performed over HVAC control network 124. Forexample, once first control unit and second control unit 102 havere-designated HVAC control network 124 as the primary communicationsnetwork, first control unit 102 a may receive a command from first userdevice 110 a, recognize that second HVAC unit 104 b controls the zoneaffected by the command, and communicate the command to second controlunit 102 b over HVAC control network 124. Accordingly, control units 102are able to provide uninterrupted HVAC service despite a communicationfailure in LAN 126.

In addition to communicating with second control unit 102 b and userdevices 110 over concurrent communication networks, first control unit102 a may communicate with other HVAC devices such as first interactivedisplay 114 a and sensors 112 over LAN 126 and HVAC control network 124.As an example, first control unit may detect and communicate withinteractive display 114 a over LAN 126. A user may transmit atemperature command using interactive display 114 a over LAN 126. Firstcontrol unit 102 a may receive the temperature change command anddetermine that the temperature change command is for HVAC unit 104 a andcommunicate the temperature command to HVAC unit 104 a using and RSBusprotocol. In some embodiments, the temperature command may be for a zonefirst control unit 102 a associates with second control unit 102 b.First control unit 102 a may then communicate the temperature changecommand to second control unit 102 b using LAN 126.

First control unit 102 a may then detect a communication failure in LAN126 and connect with interactive display 114 a over HVAC control network124. In this manner, a user may still communicate commands to firstcontrol unit 102 a over HVAC control network 124, despite the failure ofLAN 126.

As an example embodiment, first control unit 102 a and second controlunit 102 b may operate concurrently over HVAC control network 124 andLAN 126. In some embodiments, LAN 126 may operate as a Wi-Fi network andHVAC control network 124 may facilitate communication using Wi-Fidirect. First control unit 102 a may detect and connect to user device110 over LAN 126. User device 110 may access control unit 102 a usingapplication 111 and send a command (e.g., a temperature control command,a set point, a change to a setting) to first control unit 102 a of LAN126. In some embodiments, first control unit 102 a may detect that thefirst command is for second control unit 102 b, and first control unit102 a may communicate the command to second control unit 102 b over LAN126. In some embodiments, first control unit 102 a may determine thatthe command is for first HVAC unit 104 a, and first control unit 102 amay communicate the command to first HVAC unit 104 a.

First control unit may then detect a communication failure in LAN 126and communicate with user device 110 and second control unit 102 b overHVAC control network 124 using Wi-Fi direct. Thus, without experiencingan interruption in HVAC service or communication, user device 110 maycommunicate a second command to first control unit 102 a over HVACcontrol network 124. First control unit 102 a may determine that thecommand is for second control unit 102 b and communicate the command tosecond control unit 102 b using HVAC network 124. In some embodiments,the first control unit 102 a may determine that the second command isfor first HVAC unit 104 a and communicate the second command to firstHVAC unit 104 a.

In some embodiments, it may be advantageous for first control unit 102 ato notify second control unit 102 b using HVAC control network 124 offailures in LAN 126. For instance, second control unit 102 b may besetup to try and reconnect to LAN 126 periodically unless notified byfirst control unit 102 a that LAN 126 is experiencing operationalfailures.

As another example, first control unit 102 a may initially communicatewith first interactive display 114 and second control device 102 b overLAN 126. First control device may detect that LAN 126 has a weak orintermittent signal and switch communications with first interactivedisplay 114 and second control unit 102 b to the HVAC control network124.

Although the resiliency of HVAC system 100 is described using userdevices 110 and interactive displays 114, any other device in HVACsystem 100 may utilize the resilient nature of system 100. For instance,sensors 112 may connect to control units 102 concurrently over HVACcontrol network 124 and LAN 126.

Accordingly, despite not being able to communicate over LAN 126, firstcontrol unit 102 a may maintain communications with user devices 110 andsecond control unit 102 b over HVAC control network 124.

Diagnosing Issues in an HVAC System

Embodiments of FIG. 5 also illustrate a number of technical advantagesassociated with the troubleshooting of a distributed HVAC system 100.When HVAC units 104 or control units 102 experience operational issues,a technician or HVAC dealer may troubleshoot the issues and diagnose theproblem. Embodiments of HVAC system 100 provide a number of secure andefficient solutions for troubleshooting a distributed HVAC system 100operating over multiple networks both locally and remotely.

Over its lifetime, first HVAC unit 104 a may breakdown or experienceother operational failures. When an operational failure occurs, atechnician may be called to repair first HVAC unit 104 a. Prior tosending a technician to diagnose an HVAC issue in person, it may bebeneficial for an HVAC dealer or repair company to diagnose HVAC system100 remotely to preemptively determine what the issues are. A technicianmay use remote troubleshooting device 122 to communicate with controlunits 102 to try and determine what devices in HVAC system 100 need tobe diagnosed. In this manner HVAC system 100 may provide a number ofsolutions to alleviate the problems associated with troubleshooting HVACunits 104 in person.

In an example embodiment, first control unit 102 a may communicate withsecond control unit 102 b and user devices 110 concurrently over bothHVAC control network 124 and LAN 126. First control unit 102 a mayconnect to control server 118 over network 120 using access point 116.As explained below in FIGS. 9 and 10, control server 118 may facilitatecommunications between remote troubleshooting device 122 and controlunits 102 by allowing remote troubleshooting device 122 to accessoperational parameters associated with control units 102 and HVAC units104 (e.g. settings, airflow capacity, motor speeds, heat output, anderror flags). In some embodiments, operational parameters of HVAC units104 are stored on a control server database. Additionally oralternatively, control units 102 may transmit operational parameters forHVAC units 104 to remote troubleshooting device 122 and control server118 in response to receiving a request for the parameters.

In some embodiments, remote troubleshooting device 122 may communicatewith first control unit 102 a over a control connection establishedbetween control server 118 and control unit 102 a. In some embodiments,first control unit 102 a may alert control server 118 that a device inHVAC system 100 is experiencing a malfunction. Control server 118 maynotify the HVAC dealer or an approved technician to remotely diagnoseHVAC system 100 by communicating with control unit 102 a over network120. If remote troubleshooting device 122 communicates with firstcontrol unit 102 a to diagnose an operational issue, control unit 102 amay transmit a notification message to user devices 110 notifying userdevices 110 that an issue with the HVAC system is being diagnosedremotely by remote troubleshooting device 122. In some embodiments,control units 102 may communicate with interactive displays 114 to showa message indicating that the HVAC system is being diagnosed by remotetroubleshooting device 122 and/or mobile troubleshooting device 526.

To better diagnose an operational failure in HVAC system 100, it may bebeneficial for a technician to access the operational parameters offirst HVAC unit 104 a from first control unit 102 a in person. This mayallow the technician to examine HVAC system 100 while accessing theoperational parameters of first HVAC unit 104 a. However, for securityreasons, an owner of first HVAC unit 104 a may not want to grant thetechnician access to LAN 126. Instead, the technician may use mobiletroubleshooting device 526 to connect to first control unit 102 a overHVAC network 124.

As an illustration, a technician may visit HVAC system 100 in person totroubleshoot first HVAC unit 104 a. The technician may use remotetroubleshooting device 526 to communicate with first control unit 102 aand second control unit 102 b over HVAC control network 124 using Wi-Fidirect. Local user device 110 a (e.g., a homeowner) may stay connectedto first and second control units 102 over LAN 126. This functionalityallows mobile troubleshooting device 526 to communicate with firstcontrol unit 102 a without accessing LAN 126 and detecting or accessinguser devices 110.

Control units 102 may also provide additional transparency to users whenremote troubleshooting device 122 and/or mobile troubleshooting device526 are diagnosing issues with HVAC system 100. For example, firstcontrol unit 102 a may notify local user device 110 a when first controlunit 102 a is communicating with mobile troubleshooting device 526 orremote troubleshooting device 122. This notification may also indicateto local user device 110 a that the user will not be able to controlHVAC units 104 while mobile troubleshooting device 526 or remotetroubleshooting device 122 is diagnosing HVAC units 104.

In certain embodiments, HVAC system 100 may be providing critical HVACservices. For example, HVAC system 100 may be providing services to ahospital or an industrial plant. A user or HVAC dealer may program firstcontrol unit 102 a to transmit a permission request to user devices 110before allowing mobile troubleshooting device 526 or remotetroubleshooting device 122 to access first control unit 102 a and adjustsettings or controls associated with HVAC system 100.

HVAC system 100 may also solve a number of issues when users are unableto coordinate a time for a technician to diagnose issues in HVAC system100. It may be inconvenient for a user to be home when a techniciandiagnoses HVAC unit 104 a using mobile troubleshooting device 526. Forinstance, a user may be at work or running errands when a technicianarrives to troubleshoot HVAC unit 104 a. To overcome this issue, firstcontrol unit 102 a may communicate with remote user device 110 b throughcontrol server 118 over network 120. This may allow first control device102 a to send notifications, alerts, and permission requests to remoteuser device 110 b, even when remote user device 110 b is not connectedto LAN 126 or HVAC control network 124.

Troubleshooting HVAC system 100 may present unique challenges if HVACsystem 100 lacks a connection to network 120. For instance, access point116 may experience an operational failure and access to network 120 maybe disconnected, or HVAC system 100 simply may not have access tonetwork 120. Embodiments of the present disclosure allow remotetroubleshooting device 122 to access first control unit 102 a despitenot having a connection to first control unit 102 a through network 120.Furthermore, embodiments of the present disclosure allow mobiletroubleshooting device 526 to communicate with control server 118 whilealso communicating with first control unit 102 a despite not having aconnection to control server 118 through access point 116.

To provide additional support to a technician connected to first controlunit 102 a over HVAC control network 124 using mobile troubleshootingdevice 526, remote troubleshooting device 122 may use mobiletroubleshooting device 526 as a bridge to access first control unit 102a using HVAC control network 124. Thus, remote troubleshooting device122 and control server 118 may use mobile troubleshooting device 526 tocommunicate with first control unit 102 a when HVAC system 100 lacks aconnection to network 120. Using mobile troubleshooting device 526 as abridge may be beneficial if remote troubleshooting device 122 has toolsavailable to diagnose HVAC units 104 that mobile troubleshooting device526 lacks. Mobile troubleshooting device 526 may also access informationstored on control server 118 despite first control unit 102 a not beingable to access control server 118 itself using access point 116.

In certain embodiments, mobile troubleshooting device 526 maycommunicate with first control unit 102 a over HVAC control network 124and access control server 118 and/or remote troubleshooting device 122over network 120 using a mobile telecommunications technology such as a2G, 3G, or LTE network. Although HVAC system 100 may not provide a meansfor control units 102 to access network 120, in certain embodiments,first control unit 102 a may have a USB port that can receive a USBEthernet dongle allowing first control unit 102 a to connect to network120 without using access point 116. This may provide a self-sufficientmeans for control units 102 to communicate with remote troubleshootingdevice 122, while still communicating with devices in HVAC system 100.

For example, first control unit 102 a may communicate with remotetroubleshooting device 122 over network 120 using a USB Ethernet dongle.First control unit 102 a may also communicate with second control unit102 b over HVAC control network 124. If an operational issue occurs withsecond HVAC unit 104 b, and first control unit 102 a is the only controlunit 102 with a USB Ethernet dongle, remote troubleshooting device 122is still able to diagnose second control unit 102 b over network 120using HVAC network 124 through first control unit 102 a.

Accordingly, HVAC system 100 may provide a number of troubleshootingtechniques and options for diagnosing issues with control units 102,HVAC units 104, and any other device that is part of HVAC system 100.Furthermore, by operating concurrently over multiple communicationnetworks, HVAC system 100 may provide secure and efficient solutions forusers and technicians when diagnosing issues in system 100.

Distributed HVAC System Across Multiple Access Points

HVAC system 100 may be geographically dispersed and not suitable for asingle access point 116. This issue may arise, in warehouses, officebuildings, apartments, schools, and large homes. To overcome this issue,multiple access points 116 b, 116 c may communicate with central accesspoint 116 a to provide a cohesive communication network for HVAC system100. FIG. 6 is an example networking system 600 depicting thecommunication between control units 102 and multiple access points 116a-c.

In the illustrated embodiment, networking system 600 comprises a firstcontrol unit 102 a communicatively coupled to first interactive display114 a. First control unit 102 a may connect to LAN 126 a created byfirst access point 116 b. Second control unit 102 b is communicativelycoupled to second interactive display 114 b and may also connect to LAN126 a. Third control unit 102 c is communicatively coupled to thirdinteractive display 114 c and may connect to LAN 126 b using secondaccess point 116 c.

Access points 116 b and 116 c may provide overlapping coverage areas toprevent any communication dead zones in HVAC system 100. Access points116 b and 116 c may then communicate with central access point 116 a.Central access point 116 a may be a hardware access point or a softwareaccess point running on a computer equipped with a wireless networkinterface. Furthermore, access points 116 b and 116 c may be wired tocentral access point 116 a to create a wired Ethernet network or theymay communicate with central access point 116 a using a wirelessconnection, such as an IEEE 802.11 protocol. Any suitable connection maylink central access point 116 a with access points 116 b and 116 c.

As described above in FIG. 2, once control units 102 a-c connect totheir respective access point 116 b, 116 c, each control unit 102 a-cmay identify and connect to the other control units 102 a-c in HVACsystem 100 that are part of networking system 600.

For example, first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b mayalready detect and connect to each other over wireless network 126 acreated by access point 116 b. Additionally or alternatively, firstcontrol unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b may detect and connectto each other over HVAC control network 124, for instance, by usingWi-Fi direct. Once access point 116 b communicates with central accesspoint 116 a, first control unit 102 a and second control unit 102 b maydetect and connect to third control unit 102 c.

Depending on the physical proximity of control units 102 a-c it may onlybe possible to establish HVAC control network 124 between first controlunit 102 a and second control unit 102 b. However, because control units102 are connected through access point 116 a, control unit 102 a mayupdate first interactive display 114 a to show second control unit 102 band third control unit 102 c.

In certain embodiments, third control unit 102 c may wish to update atemperature setting in a zone controlled by second HVAC unit 102 b.Third control unit 102 c may receive a command from third interactivedisplay 114 c, recognize that second control unit 102 b controls HVACservices for that zone, and communicate the command to second controlunit 102 b using LANs 126 b and 126 a. In some embodiments, thirdcontrol unit 102 c may communicate the command to first control unit 102a using wireless networks 126 b and 126 a and first control unit 102 amay relay the command to second control unit 102 b using HVAC controlnetwork 124.

Thus, according to embodiments of FIG. 6, a distributed HVAC system 100may provide the functionality and reliability described in FIGS. 1-5despite being geographically dispersed across multiple access points.

HVAC Control Unit Device

The previous embodiments of FIGS. 1-6 have focused on the communicationprotocols and networks used by control units 102 when operating in HVACsystem 100. FIGS. 7 and 8 provide technical details of the hardware,interfaces, and applications that enable control units 102 to provideintegrated control and management of HVAC system 100.

FIG. 7 is a block diagram 700 illustrating an example control unit 102a. Block diagram 700 comprises a number of ports and interfaces thatallow control unit 102 to manage and control devices in HVAC system 100.Although block diagram 700 illustrates a few example features of controlunit 102 a, these features are non-limiting. Control unit 102 a includesany ports or connections, real or virtual, including any suitablehardware and/or software, including protocol conversion and dataprocessing capabilities to facilitate communications between RSBus 108 aand one or more HVAC units 104, user devices 110, sensors 112,interactive displays 114, access points 116, remote devices 122, andother control units 102 b-n.

In the illustrated embodiment, control unit 102 a comprises RSBusinterface 710, universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (UART) ports720, secure digital input output (SDIO) port 730 interfaced withwireless module 740, inter-integrated circuit (I2C) port 750 interfacedwith control unit temperature sensor 760, universal serial bus (USB)host port 770, memory 780, clock 785, and processor 790. Control unit102 a may also comprise power unit 714, one or more indicator LEDs 716,Ethernet port 775, and push button 795.

RSBus interface 710 may operate as part of a controller area network(CAN) transceiver. RSBus interface 710 may facilitate communication withone or more HVAC units 104 a and 106 a using RSBus 108 a. RSBusinterface 710 may be configured to receive 2-, 3-, or 4-wireconnections. In some embodiments, RSBus interface 710 is designed for a4-wire communication protocol comprising a power line, a ground, a highsignal line, and a low signal line. RSBus interface 710 may be designedto operate with multiple HVAC units 104. For example, control unit 102 amay control HVAC services for a residential home. RSBus interface 710may connect to air-conditioning HVAC unit 104 a and furnace HVAC unit106 a. In other embodiments, RSBus interface 710 may connect with asingle HVAC unit 104 a.

UART ports 720 may provide wired communication to a number of devices insystem 100 as well as operate as a debugging port when troubleshootingcontrol unit 102 a. For example, control unit 102 a may control acommercial refrigeration HVAC system. UART ports 720 may interface withan RS-485 module for communicating with HVAC unit 104 a in such asystem. Additionally, UART ports 720 may provide an RS-232 module fortechnicians to use when troubleshooting control unit 102 a.

In certain embodiments, interactive display 114 may be wired to UARTports 720 using an RS-485 communication module. A number of design andtechnical advantages may be realized by wiring interactive display tocontrol unit 102 a. Wiring interactive display 114 to control unit 102 amay reduce the number of components needed to operate interactivedisplay 114. For example, antennas and memory for interactive display114 may be moved to control unit 102 a. This may allow for ultra-thindesigns for interactive display 114 and reduce the power interactivedisplay 114 consumes by operating wirelessly.

SDIO port 730 interfaced with a wireless module 740 may facilitatewireless communications using any appropriate protocol, including IEEE802.11 (Wi-Fi), 802.15 (ZigBee), and Bluetooth among others. In someembodiments, wireless module 740 may allow for 802.11b/g/ncommunications and Wi-Fi direct protocols. SDIO port 730 interfaced withwireless module 740 may allow control unit 102 a to communicate withuser devices 110, sensors 112, interactive display 114, remote device122, and other control units 102 b-n using HVAC control network 124 andLAN 126. For example, the Wi-Fi module may communicate with a siblingcontrol unit using a Wi-Fi direct protocol negotiated using a Wi-Fiprotected setup standard. In some embodiments, control unit 102 a mayinclude an external antenna 745 to provide long-range wirelesscommunications.

I2C port 750 may be interfaced with temperature sensor 760 to measurethe ambient temperature of the area housing control unit 102 a.Temperature sensor 760 may be any temperature sensor operable to measurean ambient temperature and communicate the reading to control unit 102 avia I2C port 750.

USB host port 770 may facilitate USB access to control unit 102 a. Insome embodiments, a USB to Ethernet dongle may allow control unit 102 ato communicate with network 120 and control server 118 without usingaccess point 116. USB host port 770 may support USB 2.0, USB 3.0, andUSB Type-C functionality. USB host port 770 may also be able to receivemanual firmware upgrades using a USB device.

Memory 780 represents any suitable memory operable to storeconfiguration details, boot code, picture files, and software forcontrol unit 102 a. As an example, and not by way of limitation, memorymay comprise EEPROM of a sufficient size (e.g., 16 kB) to storeconfiguration details for control unit 102 a and HVAC unit 104parameters. Memory 780 may include DDR3 SDRAM or other comparable memorythat allows for high speed processing. In some embodiments, memory 780may include a secure digital high capacity (SDHC) port to receive SDflash memory cards to store information, such as boot code for controlunit 102 a. SD flash memory may also store and upload pictures tointeractive display 114.

Clock 785 represents any hardware or software operable to maintain aninternal time for control unit 102 a. In some embodiments, clock 785includes a Real Time Clock (RTC) chip. In some embodiments, the RTC chipmay be used to time stamp software, system changes, settings updates,and log data in control unit 102 a.

Processor 790 may execute any suitable operating system such as IBM'szSeries/Operating System (z/OS), MS-DOS, PC-DOS, MAC-OS, Android,WINDOWS, UNIX, OpenVMS, Linux, or any other appropriate operatingsystems, including future operating systems. Processor 790 may executecomputer-executable program instructions stored in memory 780. Processor790 may include, but is not limited to, a microprocessor, an applicationspecific integrated circuit (ASIC), and or state machines. Processor 790may also facilitate communications between RSBus interface 710, UARTports 720, SDIO port 730 interfaced with a wireless module 740, I2C port750, and USB host port 770.

Power unit 714 may comprise one or more power modules to ensure properoperation of the interfaces and ports of control unit 102 a. In someembodiments, power unit 714 may receive a 24V AC input signal. Powerunit 714 may convert the 24V AC input to other signals using a number ofconverters. For example, power unit 714 may comprise a 24V AC-DCconverter, a 24V DC to 5V DC and 3V DC convertor for internaloperations. Power unit 714 may also include a 24V DC to 12V DC converterfor providing power to interactive display 114 when interactive display114 connects to control unit 102 a over UART ports 720.

One or more indicator LEDs 716 may provide visual indications to a useror a technician regarding the operating condition of control unit 102 a.As an example, and not by way of limitation, control unit 102 a maycomprise a circular LED to indicate whether control unit 102 a isconnected to control unit 102 b. A user may press push button 745 toinitiate a Wi-Fi direct, push button configuration. Indicator LED 716may produce a green blinking light until the acceptance window toconnect to other Wi-Fi direct devices closes. Once the acceptance windowcloses, the green light may end. If control unit 102 a detects andconnects to control unit 102 b during the acceptance window, indicatorLED 516 may transition from a blinking green light to a solid greenlight. If control unit 102 a detects control unit 102 b but fails toconnect to control unit 102 b, indicator LED 716 may transition from ablinking green light to a sold blue or red light. In some embodiments, asimilar indicator or ring notification may display on interactivedisplay 114. This may allow users and technicians to detect when firstcontrol unit 102 a connects to other control units 102 b-n withouthaving to directly access control unit 102 a. Accordingly, users andtechnicians may easily determine whether control unit 102 a establishescommunication with other control units 102 b-n.

Control Unit Hardware Operation

The following embodiments describe the interaction and functionality ofinterfaces and ports described in FIG. 7. The interfaces and ports ofcontrol unit 102 a may allow control unit 102 a to operate as a networkbridge between HVAC units 104 and a number of other devices in system100.

For example, SDIO port 730 interfaced with wireless module 740 mayreceive a temperature reading from sensor 112 over LAN 126. Processor790 may receive the temperature reading in an 802.11 Wi-Fi communicationprotocol and convert it into an RS-485 communication protocol. UARTports 720 may then facilitate the communication of the temperaturereading to interactive display 114. Processor 790 may also determinethat the temperature reading is outside a set temperature range for azone covered by sensor 112. Processor 790 may instruct HVAC unit 104 toadjust the temperature of the zone by communicating a command to HVACunit 104 a using an RSBus protocol over RSBus interface 710.

In another example, SDIO port 730 interfaced with wireless module 740may detect and connect with user device 110 using a Wi-Fi directprotocol over HVAC control network 124. Once connected, user device 110may communicate a temperature adjust command to control device 102 a,which is received by wireless module 740. In some embodiments, wirelessmodule 740 receives the temperature adjust command from user device 110in a TCP/IP protocol. Processor 790 may convert the temperature adjustcommand from the TCP/IP protocol into the RSBus protocol and transmitthe temperature adjust command to HVAC unit 104 over RSBus 108 usingRS-BUS interface 510.

As another example, SDIO port 730 interfaced with wireless module 740may detect and connect with control unit 102 b over HVAC control network124 using Wi-Fi direct. Wireless module 740 may utilize a Wi-Fiprotected setup standard to facilitate secure communications over HVACcontrol network 126.

In some embodiments, UART ports 520 are operable to facilitatecommunication with a debugging apparatus using an RS-232 communicationprotocol. For instance, in certain embodiments a technician diagnosingcontrol unit 102 a may need to perform tests on control unit 102 a. Byaccessing debugging interfaces that are part of UART ports 520, thetechnician may be able to read, measure, or provide signals to controlunit 102 a that may not otherwise be possible with just mobiletroubleshooting device 526.

Control unit 102 a may communicate with interactive display 114 over LAN126 instead of UART port 520. SDIO port 730 interfaced with wirelessmodule 740 may receive a temperature adjust command from interactivedisplay 114. In some embodiments, the temperature adjust command may bein a TCP/IP protocol. Processor 790 may convert the TCP/IP protocol toan RSBus protocol. Processor 790 may then determine that the temperaturecommand is for HVAC unit 104 b controlled by control unit 102 b.Processor 790 may determine this based on the control unit associatedwith the zone or room that temperature adjust command was received for.Wireless module 740 may communicate the temperature control command tocontrol unit 102 b over HVAC control network 124.

Control unit 102 a may also connect to access point 116 by having SDIOport 730 interfaced with wireless module 740 detect and connect to LAN126. For example, LAN 126 may be a WLAN using an 802.11 protocol. Onceconnected to access point 116, control unit 102 a may access network 120and connect with control server 118. As explained in greater detail inFIGS. 7-8, once control unit 102 a connects with control server 118,control server 118 may establish a persistent control connection withcontrol unit 102 a. Using the control link, wireless module 740 mayreceive firmware upgrades for control unit 102 a, HVAC unit 104 a,sensor 112, and interactive display 114. For example, if control unit102 a receives a firmware upgrade for HVAC unit 104 a from controlserver 118 in a first protocol such as TCP/IP. Processor 790 may convertthe firmware upgrade from the first protocol into the RSBus protocol andcommunicate the firmware upgrade to HVAC unit 104 a using RSBusinterface 710.

A component of control unit 102 may include an interface, logic, memory,and other suitable elements. Logic may be encoded in one or morenon-transitory, tangible media, such as a computer readable medium orany other suitable tangible medium, and may perform operations whenexecuted by a computer. Certain logic, such as a processor, may managethe operation of a component. Examples of a processor include one ormore microprocessors, one or more applications, and other logic.

Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to block diagram 700and control unit 102 a without departing from the scope of thedisclosure. For example, control unit 102 a may further comprise anEthernet port 775, enabling control unit 102 a to connect to a routerand access network 120 without needing access point 116. As anotherexample, RSBus interface 710 may be a fiber optic communication channel.

As yet another example, control unit 102 a may communicate with remotedevice 122 using a USB Ethernet dongle connected to USB host port 770.Control unit 102 a may receive a temperature adjust command from remotedevice 122 through USB host port. Processor 790 may convert thetemperature adjust command to the RSBus protocol and communicate thetemperature adjust command to HVAC unit 104 a using RSBus interface 710.Any suitable logic stored in memory 780 may perform the functions ofblock diagram 700 and the components within control unit 102 a.

Control Unit Software Architecture

To manage and control operations and communications in HVAC system 100,control unit 102 a may include a number of applications and databases.The applications and databases described in FIG. 8 may be stored andoperated from any suitable location such as memory 780, SD flash memoryinterfaced with an SDHC port, or control server 118. Embodiments of FIG.8 detail the interaction and communication protocols used byapplications when storing and retrieving data. As explained below, theprocesses invoked by the database of control unit 102 a may provide anumber of technical advantages when operating a distributed HVAC system100.

FIG. 8 is a block diagram 800 illustrating example control systems andapplications provided by a control unit 102 a. Block diagram 800comprises HVAC equipment interface 810, IO ports 820, database 830, andapplications 840, which may be used to operate control unit 102 a andcommunicate with user device 110, sensors 112, interactive display 114,access point 116, control server 118, remote device 122, and othercontrol units 102 b-n.

HVAC equipment interface 810 comprises system controller 812 and RSBus108. Input/output (IO) module 820 comprises local gateway 826 and remotegateway 828. Control unit 102 a may also comprise one or more databases830 for receiving, storing, and retrieving data for HVAC system 100.Applications 840 comprise a number of programs run on control unit 102 aincluding firmware manager 842, authentication manager 844, analyticsprogram 846, scheduler program 848, user content manager 850, weatherprogram 852, occupancy control 854, and safety monitor 856.

System controller 812 is responsible for controlling HVAC units 104 and106 in system 100. System controller 812 may discover the number, type,and configuration of HVAC units 104 and 106 used in system 100. Forexample, system controller 812 may determine that RSBus 108 a connectscontrol unit 102 a to an air-conditioning unit 104 a and a furnace 106 aas part of a residential HVAC system. In some embodiments, systemcontroller 812 may determine that UART ports 720 facilitatecommunication with a commercial refrigeration system. System controller812 may publish the number, type, and configuration of HVAC units 104and 106 to database 830. System controller 812 may also update database830 with the status of other control units 102 b-n. In some embodiments,system controller 812 may also communicate firmware and parameterupdates from firmware manager 842 and control server 118 to HVAC units104 a and 106 a.

Local gateway 826 facilitates secure communications between control unit102 a and devices connecting locally using wireless module 740 and UARTports 720. Local gateway 826 may manage communications with the devicescommunicating over HVAC control network 124, LAN 126, and any wirednetwork (e.g., a wired interactive display 114 using UART ports 720). Insome embodiments, control unit 102 a may have an Ethernet port alsomanaged by local gateway 826. Local gateway 826 manages thesynchronization of data between control unit 102 a and interactivedisplay 114, control units 102 b-n, sensors 112, and user devices 110.

In certain embodiments, local gateway 826 may automatically choose thepreferred protocol (i.e., Wi-Fi, Wi-Fi direct, 2-wire, Ethernet) tocommunicate with devices in HVAC system 100. For example, control unit102 a may generate HVAC control network 124 and act as Group Owner (GO)of HVAC control network 124. Local gateway 826 may then determine thatthe preferred communications method with control units 102 b-n is Wi-Fidirect. Local gateway 826 may designate different preferred protocolsfor different devices. For example, in some embodiments, sensor 112 maybe outside of HVAC control network 124 but within range of LAN 126.Local gateway 826 may designate a Wi-Fi protocol as the preferredcommunications method for control unit 102 a to communicate with sensor112.

Local gateway 826 may use the same application program interface (API)as control server 118 so that users interacting with control unit 102 ausing application 111 on user device 110 encounter the same GUI offeringthe same commands regardless of whether the user is communicatinglocally or remotely. This enables control unit 102 a, to present auniform display to a user regardless of how the user controls HVACsystem 100.

Remote gateway 828 facilitates secure communications between controlunit 102 a and control server 118 using wireless module 540. Remotegateway 828 may synchronize the communication of control data andnotifications with control server 118. Similar to local gateway 826,remote gateway 828 may automatically choose the preferred interface(e.g., Wi-Fi, ZigBee, Ethernet) to communicate with control server 118.In some embodiments, this may include managing control and notificationconnections between control unit 102 a and control server 118.

Database 830 stores, either permanently or temporarily, data and otheroperational information for processor 790 and applications 840. In someembodiments, database 830 is stored in memory 780. In some embodiments,control server 118 may operate as a cloud storage device and a portionor all of database 830 may be stored remotely on control server 118.

In certain embodiments, database 830 may operate using apublish-subscribe (pub-sub) data delivery method, wherein applications840 and devices may publish data to database 830 and subscribe tocertain types of data stored in database 830. Using this push/pullprotocol, application 840 and devices (i.e., control units 102, sensors112, interactive display 114, control server 118) may publish data todatabase 830 without identifying a specific recipient. Instead, eachdevice and application 840 may subscribe to certain types of data indatabase 830.

For example, sensor 112 c located in second zone 250 may measure anambient temperature of living room 270. Sensor 112 c may publish thetemperature reading to database 830 using HVAC control network 124. Oncedatabase 830 receives the temperature reading, a number of subscribersmay access or retrieve the temperature reading. For instance, schedulemanager 848 may subscribe to database 830 and receive temperaturereadings as they are published to database 830. Schedule manager 848 maythen determine whether the temperature of second zone 250 is within apreset temperature range. Interactive display 114 may also subscribe totemperature readings published to database 830. Interactive display 114may receive the temperature reading published by sensor 112 c anddisplay the temperature reading of living room 270. In this manner,sensor 112 c may simply publish a temperature reading to database 830without identifying specific applications or devices that may want thetemperature reading.

Using a pub-sub data delivery method provides technical benefits for adistributed HVAC system with multiple devices and components. A pub-subdata delivery method may provide for asynchronous communication betweendevices that allows the distributed HVAC system to be customized,expandable, and able to operate in an autonomous fashion. Furthermore,although described as a pub-sub delivery system, control unit 102 a mayuse any database and processing system that facilitates communicationbetween applications 840 and devices in HVAC system 100. For instance,control unit 102 a may comprise one or more relational databases.

Firmware manager 842 may be responsible for downloading firmware fromcontrol server 118 in a non-intrusive an efficient manner. Because HVACunit 104 a may need to be shut down while control unit 102 a uploads afirmware upgrade, firmware manager 842 may update control unit 102 awhile HVAC unit 104 a is already off. For example, to determine the besttime to update HVAC unit 104 a, firmware manager 842 may interact withschedule program 848 to determine when the next down period will be, forinstance when the user leaves for work. Firmware manager 842 may thenupdate HVAC unit 104 a with the new firmware. Thus, the user will notnotice a loss of HVAC services while firmware manager 842 updatescontrol unit 102 a or HVAC unit 104 with new firmware.

Firmware manager 842 may also work with control server 118 to maintainthe control link that facilitates communication between control server118 and control unit 102 a through remote gateway 828. In someembodiments, firmware manager 842 may communicate the status ofdownloads and uploads to interactive display 114. If control unit 102 ais connected with control unit 102 b, firmware manager 842 may ensurethat both control units 102 are using compatible firmware. This mayprevent communication errors due to updates in system programs.

Authentication manager 844 maintains and tracks accounts that connectwith control unit 102 a. For example, a legacy control unit 102 c mayattempt to reconnect with control unit 102 a. Authentication manager 844may have a stored account for control unit 102 c and may authorizecommunications with control unit 102 c without performing additionalauthentication steps. In another embodiment, authentication manager 844may store a record of each user device 110 that has previously beenauthenticated. This may allow user device 110 to connect automaticallywith control unit 102 a upon detecting it over LAN 126 or HVAC controlnetwork 124. In a similar manner, authentication manager 644 may storeand authenticate sensors 112 and interactive display 114.

Analytics program 846 may provide HVAC analytics for control unit 102 a.Over time, analytics program 846 may collect and store data in database830 or control server 118 regarding the usage of HVAC unit 104 and theenergy consumption of control unit 102 a, HVAC unit 104 a, sensors 112,and interactive display 114. Furthermore, analytics program 846 may runa smart lifestyle program that learns the habits and preferences of auser. For example, analytics program 846 may learn the work schedule ofthe user and determine the most energy-efficient time to run HVAC unit104 to achieve the proper temperature settings. Analytics program 846may be able to suggest changes to schedule program 848 that would savethe user money by operating HVAC unit 104 during lower priced periods.Analytics program 846 may also use energy consumption information basedon current HVAC unit 104 a and determine how much energy would be savedby changing to an upgraded or different HVAC model.

Schedule program 848 may manage and control the schedule settings forcontrol unit 102 a. In some embodiments, a user may access schedulerprogram 848 by connecting to control unit 102 a using interactive device114 or user device 110. The user may setup a schedule that determinesthe temperature settings for specific times and days of the week.Schedule program 848 may also coordinate with database 830 to determinewhat zones are available to monitor and control. For example, a user mayinput a certain schedule for second zone 250 using interactive display114 a. Control unit 102 a may be connected to control unit 102 b andtherefore able to detect second zone 250 and HVAC unit 104 b. Scheduleprogram 848 running on control unit 102 a may determine when controlunit 102 a should send temperature control commands to control unit 102b over HVAC control network 124 or LAN 126 to control HVAC unit 102 b.In some embodiments, schedule program 848 may synchronize calendars withcorresponding schedule program 848 running on controller unit 102 b. Inthis manner, even if communications are interrupted between controlunits 102 a and 102 b, control unit 102 b may still be able to maintainthe scheduled temperatures.

User content manager 850 may allow a user to customize interactivedisplay 114 with a custom screen saver or customize the way user device110 receives messages. For example, a user may indicate that messagesshould be sent to user device 110 using email. The user may then providethe preferred email address. In another embodiment, the user mayindicate that a text message is the preferred means of communication. Inanother embodiment, the user may indicate an HVAC application on userdevice 110 is the best way to communicate with the user. Accordingly,user content manager 850 may customize the way control unit 102 acommunicates with users.

Weather program 852 facilitates the pulling of weather information fromcontrol server 118. As described in FIGS. 11 and 12, weather program 852may periodically pull weather data from weather program 852. Weatherprogram 852 may pull the reports at the same time every day (e.g., 7:00am or 12:00 pm), or weather program 852 may be instructed to pull thereports at regular intervals (e.g., every hour). In some embodiments,weather program 852 may pull weather information from control server 118in response to control server 118 not pushing weather data for a givenperiod (e.g., every three hours). Weather program 852 may publish theweather data in database 830 for other programs to subscribe.

Occupancy control 654 may allow control unit 102 a to determine whichzones, and which rooms within the zones, are occupied by users. Forexample, sensors 112 may measure noise levels within a room. In someembodiments, sensors 112 may be a motion sensor operable to detectmovement within a room. Control unit 102 a may receive noise and/ormotion sense data from sensors 112 and publish the data to database 830.Occupancy control 654 may subscribe to noise and motion sense data anddetermine which zones and rooms should be provided HVAC services.

As an illustration, sensor 112 c may detect high noise levels in livingroom 270 of second zone 250. Sensors 112 a and 112 b may comprise motionsensors, which may detect little or no motion in bathroom 230 andbedroom 240. Control unit 102 a may receive this noise and motion dataand publish it to database 830. Occupancy control 854 may retrieve thisinformation and determine that one or more users are in living room 270and alert system controller 612 that HVAC services should be provided tosecond zone 250. Control unit 102 a may then determine that HVAC unit104 b controls second zone 250. Control unit 102 a may transmit atemperature command to control unit 102 b using HVAC control network124. Accordingly, occupancy control 854 may create a targeted HVACsystem able to provide targeted HVAC services.

Safety monitor 856 may work with temperature sensor 760 to determinewhether the ambient temperature of the location of control unit 102 a isoutside safe operating conditions. For example, a fan cooling controlunit 102 a may fail. Temperature sensor 760 may determine that theambient temperature around control unit 102 a is outside safe operatingconditions (e.g., 140° C.). Safety monitor 854 may alert processor 790causing control unit 102 a to send an alert message to user device 110indicating the unsafe operating temperatures. The user may then takeappropriate action before control unit 102 a shuts down.

In some embodiments, HVAC system 100 may have one or more sensors 112that are operable to measure air quality. Safety monitor 856 may workwith air quality sensors 112 to monitor the air quality of HVAC system100. In some embodiments, if safety monitor 856 determines that the airquality reaches an unsafe level it may send an alert to user device 110and/or display the air quality on interactive display 114. In someembodiments, the air quality level may be sent as a universal setting toalert all control units 102 in HVAC system 100. Safety monitor 856 andair quality sensors 112 may measure any number of air pollutantsincluding but not limited to carbon monoxide, ozone, particle matter,nitrogen dioxide, sulphur dioxide, and hydrogen dioxide. In someembodiments, first control unit 102 a may control an air-cleaning devicethat may be activated if safety monitor 856 determines that the airquality is at an unsafe level.

Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to block diagram 800and control unit 102 a without departing from the scope of thedisclosure. For example, control unit 102 a may further comprise aconfiguration manager that is responsible for storing and restoringcontrol unit 102 a configurations that are received from USB host port770. Configuration manager may also communicate the currentconfigurations of control unit 102 a to control server 118. Any suitablelogic may perform the functions of block diagram 600 and the componentswithin control unit 102 a.

Although applications 840 are shown as part of control unit 102 a,control server 118 may provide additional applications that may bedownloaded by control unit 102 a to increase operational efficiency orprovide added control to users. As the following sections detail,control server 118 may augment the abilities of control units 102 byproviding a number of services or options to expand the operations ofHVAC system 100

Server Interaction in an HVAC System

FIGS. 9-12 detail a number of ways control server 118 may interact andenhance HVAC system 100. FIG. 9 is a diagram illustrating an examplesystem 900 for facilitating communications with a control server 118 andcontrol unit 102 a. Embodiments of the present disclosure may alsoprovide solutions that facilitate secure, transparent, and efficientcommunication between control units 102, control server 118, and otherdevices in system 900.

System 900 comprises network 120 that facilitates communication betweencontrol unit 102 a, user device 110, interactive display 114, remotedevice 122, control server 118, and application server 950. In theillustrated embodiment, control server 118 includes an interface 932, aprocessor 934, and a memory 936, which comprises weather data 938, andinstallation reports 940.

Interface 932 represents any suitable device operable to receiveinformation from network 120, transmit information through network 120,perform suitable processing of information, communicate to otherdevices, or any combination thereof.

Interface 932 represents any port or connection, real or virtual,including any suitable hardware and/or software, including protocolconversion and data processing capabilities, to communicate throughnetwork 120, LAN 126, WAN, or other communication system that allowscontrol server 118 to exchange information with control unit 102 a, userdevices 110 a-n, interactive display 114, remote device 122, andapplication server 950.

For example, interface 932 may utilize a number of communicationchannels (i.e., notification, control, and download connections) withcontrol unit 102 a depending on the type, size, and content ofcommunications between control server 118 and control unit 102 a. Asdescribed in FIGS. 11 and 12, interface 932 may use notificationconnection 914, control connection 916, and download connection 918 fordifferent purposes. By distinguishing between communication channels,control server 118 may be able to strategically utilize communicationresources and efficiently allocate bandwidth.

As an illustrative example, control server 118 may transmit anotification to control unit 102 a using notification connection 914.The notification may simply include an indication that control server118 has a message and/or command for control unit 102 a. Control unit102 a may then use control connection 916 to retrieve the message andany corresponding data. In some embodiments, notification connection 914and control connection 916 may be persistent links between controlserver 118 and control unit 102 a. In some embodiments, notificationconnection 914 is a persistent link and control connection 916 is an ondemand link.

Download connection 918 may be established between control server 118and control unit 102 a whenever a large file needs to be transferred,such as a firmware upgrade. Because download connection 918 utilizesmore resources than notification connection 914 and control connection916, download connection 918 may be setup on demand. In certainembodiments, notification connection 914 and control connection 916 maybe setup using a secure communication connection such as https, whiledownload channel 718 may use a standard connection such as http.

Although notification connection 914, control connection 916, anddownload connection 918 are illustrated as existing between control unit102 a and control server 118, these connections may also be establishedbetween user devices 110, application server 950, interactive display114, remote device 122, or any other appropriate device in system 900.

Processor 934 communicatively couples interface 932 and memory 936 andcontrols the operation of control server 118. Processor 934 includes anyhardware and software that operates to control and process information.Processor 934 may execute computer-executable program instructionsstored in memory 936. Processor 934 may include, but is not limited to,a microprocessor, an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC), andor state machines.

Memory 936 may store information in one or more databases, file systems,tree structures, any other suitable storage system, or any combinationthereof. Furthermore, different information stored in memory 936 may useany of these storage systems. Moreover, any information stored in memory936 may be encrypted or unencrypted, compressed or uncompressed, andstatic or editable. Although illustrated as including particularmodules, memory 936 may include any suitable information for use in theoperation of control server 118. In the illustrated embodiment, memory936 includes weather data 938 and installation reports 940.

In certain embodiments, control unit 102 a may register with controlserver 118 upon being activated in HVAC system 100. As described belowin FIG. 10, control unit 102 a may communicate a registration request918 to control server 118. Registration request 918 may comprise aninstallation report providing details about HVAC system 100 that controlunit 102 a operates. The installation report may comprise serial numbersfor control units 102, HVAC units 104, sensors 112, and interactivedisplays 114. The installation report may also include operatingparameters for HVAC units 104, a geographic address of control unit 102a (e.g., GPS coordinates or a street address), and a user name/loginpassword for accessing control units 102. In some embodiments,installation report may include the universal settings stored by controlunit 102 a.

After receiving registration request 918, control server 118 mayauthenticate control unit 102 a. In some embodiments, control server 118may authenticate registration request 918 by comparing the serialnumbers of control unit 102 a, HVAC unit 104, and interactive display114 to a list of approved serial numbers stored on control server 118.Control server 118 may communicate the serial numbers to remote device122, which may represent an approved HVAC dealer. Remote device 122 mayauthenticate the serial numbers and send an approval message to controlserver 118. In some embodiments, approved serial numbers may be listedbased on units sold by approved dealers. In some embodiments controlserver 118 may authenticate just control unit 102 a and in otherembodiments, control server 118 may authenticate all components of HVACsystem 100. Once authenticated, control server 118 may store theinstallation report in installation report database 940.

Once the authorization process is complete, control server 118 mayregister a primary user device 110 a with control unit 102 a. Controlserver 118 may also register a secondary user device 110 b with controlunit 102 a. In some embodiments, control server 118 may grant primaryuser device 110 a additional privileges that are not granted tosecondary user device 110 b, such as changing the user name or passwordassociated with HVAC system 100. Once primary user device 110 a andsecondary user device 110 b are registered, control server 118 mayestablish notification connection 914 and control connection 916 witheach device. This registration of user devices 110 may facilitateseamless communication between user devices 110 and control unit 102 awhen user devices 110 are outside HVAC control network 124 and LAN 126.

For example, a user on secondary user device 110 b may communicate atemperature change request to control server 118. The user may gothrough control server 118 because the user is away from home 210 andunable to connect with HVAC control network 124 and LAN 126. Controlserver 118 receives the temperature change request and sends anotification message over notification connection 914 to control unit102 a. Control unit 102 a may respond by transmitting a retrieve requestto control server 118 over notification connection 914. Control server118 may then transmit the temperature change request using controlconnection 716 to control unit 102 a. Once control unit 102 a receivesthe temperature change request, it may notify control server 118 bycommunicating a confirmation notification to control server 118 usingnotification connection 914.

Control server 118 may confirm with secondary user device 110 b that thetemperature change request was successfully transmitted to control unit102 a. Control server 118 may send a notification alert to secondaryuser device 110 b over a notification connection, receive a retrieverequest from secondary user device 110 b over notification connection,and transmit the confirmation notification from control unit 102 a tosecondary device 110 b.

In some embodiments, control server 118 may recognize that secondaryuser device 110 b requested the temperature change. In addition toconfirming the temperature change with secondary user device 110 b,control server 118 may confirm the temperature change with primary userdevice 110 a using a similar notification procedure. In certainembodiments, control server 118 may capture all communications madebetween endpoints for a specified period (e.g., 30 days). This may allowa user to review when changes were made to control unit 102 a and whomade the changes. This may also allow a technician to troubleshootpotential problems based on when the issues occurred.

In some embodiments, remote device 122 represents the HVAC dealer whosold or installed HVAC unit 104. HVAC dealer may use remote device 122to retrieve operating parameters associated with HVAC unit 104. Remotedevice 122 may communicate a request to control server 118 to accesscontrol unit 102 a. Control server 118 may transmit an authorizationrequest to primary user device 110 a to retrieve permission from theuser before allowing access to the data from control unit 102 a. Theuser may transmit an authorization approval to control server 118 usingprimary user device 110 a. Upon receiving the authorization approval,control server 118 may communicate the stored operating parameters forHVAC unit 104 received from control unit 102 a. In this manner, controlserver 118 may send the requested data to the HVAC dealer withoutallowing the HVAC dealer to access control unit 102 a.

In some embodiments, control server 118 receives an indication fromcontrol unit 102 a that control unit 102 a is using outdated software.Firmware manager 842 may alert control unit 102 a that a new firmwareupgrade is available. A request for the firmware upgrade may becommunicated to control server 118 over notification connection 914.Control server 118 may establish download link 718 with control unit 102a based on the large size of the firmware upgrade. Once download link718 is established, control server 118 may upload the firmware upgradeto control unit 102 a. After the upload is complete, control unit 118may tear down download link 718 to conserve communication resources.

In the illustrated embodiment, control server 118 may communicate withapplication server 950. Application server 950 may comprise a number ofthird party applications or services used to customize control unit 102a. For instance, application server 950 may provide weather data tocontrol server 118. Control server 118 may communicate the geographiclocation of control unit 102 a to application server 950 and receiveweather forecast data for the geographic location of control unit 102 a.Control server 118 may then store the data in weather database 738 andtransmit the weather data to control unit 102 a at predeterminedintervals (e.g., every six hours).

In some embodiments weather program 852 may establish when controlserver 118 should transmit the weather data. Additionally oralternatively, control server 118 may transmit the weather data tocontrol unit 102 a in response to receiving a request from control unit102 a. User devices 110 may also send control unit 118 weather requests.In response, control server 118 may transmit the weather data to userdevices 110.

Modifications, additions, or omissions may be made to block system 900without departing from the scope of the disclosure. For example,although user devices have been described as communicating temperaturecontrol commands to control unit 102 a using control server 118, userdevices 110 may interact with one or more applications 840 running oncontrol unit 102 a. For example, primary user device 110 a may updateschedule program 848 remotely using control server 118. In someembodiments, control unit 102 a may use control server 118 as a cloudstorage system. This may reduce the memory requirements for control unit102 a while allowing user devices 110 to access up-to-date informationof control unit 102 a even if they are outside home 210.

HVAC System Registration

When control units 102 are initially activated, it may be beneficial foreach control unit 102 to register with control server 118. This mayensure that HVAC systems 100 are operating using approved devices. Italso may allow HVAC dealers to keep track of the type and number ofcontrol units 102 used in HVAC system 100. In this manner if an HVACdealer needs to recall control units 102, or send notifications to usersoperating a specific model of HVAC unit 104, the HVAC dealer may do soin a quick and efficient manner. Thus, registering control units 102 mayprovide a number of technical advantages to users and dealers.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart showing a method 1000 for registering controlunit 102 a with control server 118. At step 1010, control server 118receives registration request 918 from control unit 102 a. Registrationrequest 918 may be sent to control server 118 by control unit 102 a whencontrol unit 102 a is first activated. When control unit 102 a firstactivates, it may determine whether it has previously registered withcontrol server 118. If it has not, control unit 118 may connect tonetwork 120 using a number of different methods. For example, controlunit 102 a may connect to network 120 using access point 116. Controlunit 102 a may then transmit registration request 918 to control server118. In some embodiments, if control unit 102 a is unable to connectwith control server 118, control unit 102 a may re-attempt registrationat regular intervals (e.g., every sixty seconds).

Registration request 918 may comprise an installation report withimportant details regarding HVAC system 100. For instance, installationreport may comprise a serial number for HVAC unit 104, a serial numberfor interactive display 114, a serial number for control unit 102 a,operating parameters for HVAC unit 104, a geographic address of controlunit 102 a (e.g., GPS coordinates or a street address), and a username/login password for an account with control server 118.

At step 1020, control server 118 authenticates control unit 102 a basedon registration request 918. In certain embodiments, authentication mayrely on information provided in the installation report. Authenticationmay occur in a number of ways. For example, control server 118 maycompare the number and type of devices connected to control unit 102 ato a list of previously installed devices. Control server 118 may denyauthentication if the HVAC system run by control unit 102 a does notmatch the installed system. Additionally or alternatively, controlserver 118 may cross-check the serial numbers of one or more of controlunit 102 a, HVAC unit 104 a, sensors 112, and interactive display 114.If one or more serial numbers do not match a stored list of approvedserial numbers, control server 118 may not authenticate control unit 102a. In some embodiments, control server 118 may provide authentication bychecking the serial numbers of each device in the HVAC system except forthe serial number of control unit 102 a. This may occur if control unit102 a is simply a replacement control unit in an existing HVAC system100. Although several examples are described, any suitableauthentication protocol may be used to authenticate control unit 102 a.

In certain embodiments, control server 118 may allow control unit 102 ato register despite failing authentication. Control server 118 mayprovide a limited subset of services for unauthenticated control units102 a. For example, control server 118 may not upload firmware upgradesto unauthenticated control units 102 but may transmit recall notices orsevere weather alerts to unauthenticated control units 102.

At step 1030, control server 118 determines whether a user of controlunit 102 a has already created an account. Control server 118 may askfor a user name and password to register control unit 102 a. The usermay provide this information through interactive display 114, userdevice 110, or login to a user interface connected with control server118. If the user does not have an account, the sequence proceeds to step1032 to create a new user account. If the user does have an account, thesequence proceeds to step 1034.

At step 1032, control server 118 creates a profile for the user. Theprofile may include the devices in HVAC system 100 detected by controlunit 102 a. The profile may link the user name and password with theinstallation report sent as part of registration request 918.Accordingly, whenever a user adds new components to HVAC system 100,such as new HVAC unit 104 b, control server 118 may update the useraccount based on the user name and password. Once the new profile iscreated, the sequence may proceed to step 1038.

At step 1034, control server 118 determines whether control unit 102 ais being added to an existing HVAC system 100 or a new HVAC system. Forinstance, a user may move houses and bring control unit 102 a to the newhome. Although control unit 102 a is already registered, the HVAC systemof the new home may be different from the previous home. Control server118 may update the user profile with the new HVAC system devices. Insome embodiments, control unit 102 a may simply be a replacement controlunit at the same location. Control server 118 may determine based on theinstallation report that every device but control unit 102 a is thesame. This may indicate that control unit 102 a is a replacement controlunit. In certain situations, control unit 102 a may be an additionalcontrol unit added to an existing HVAC system that already has at leastone control unit 102 b. If control unit 102 a is added to an existingsystem 100, then the sequence proceeds to step 1036, if not the sequenceproceeds to step 1038 to determine a new location profile for HVACsystem 100.

At step 1036, control server 118 links control unit 102 a to an existingprofile of the system. The existing profile may already have informationstored for existing HVAC units 104 and 106 and/or existing control units102 b-n. After adding control unit 102 a to an existing profile, thenthe sequence may proceed to step 1050.

At step 1038, control server 118 creates a new location profile forcontrol unit 102 a. Control server 118 may identify the location ofcontrol unit 102 a and determine each component at that location basedon the installation report. Once the location information is added tothe profile, the sequence may proceed to step 1040.

At step 1040, control server 118 may register and associate primary userdevice 110 a with control unit 102 a. By linking primary user device 110a with control unit 102 a, control server 118 may communicate alerts andwarnings to primary user device 110 a. In some embodiments, controlserver 118 may establish notification connection 914 and controlconnection 916 with primary user device 110 a. After registering primaryuser device 110 a, the sequence may proceed to step 1050. A user mayregister a primary device with control server 118 by providing a phonenumber or email account to reach the user. At step 1050, control server118 may determine whether the user wishes to register another devicewith control unit 102 a. If the user does wish to register anotherdevice, then the sequence proceeds to step 1060. If not, then theregistration process ends.

At step 1060, a user may wish to register and associate multiple userdevices with control unit 102 a. For example, a user may register amobile phone as primary user device 110 a, and one or more devices assecondary devices. For instance, secondary devices may include aspouse's mobile phone 110 b, a home computer 110 c, a tablet 110 d, anda work desktop 110 e. In certain embodiments, control server 118 mayallow the user to designate which user devices 110 are primary devicesand which are secondary devices. Once all devices 110 a-e of the userare registered, the registration process may end.

Various embodiments may perform some, all, or none of the stepsdescribed above. For example, a user may have more than one home.Control server 118 may recognize the user based on a common user namefor the two homes. Control server 118 may authenticate and register eachsystem separately but allow the user to access them through the samelogin. While discussed as control server 118 performing these steps, anysuitable component of HVAC system 100 may perform one or more steps ofthe method.

Publication of Server Data to a Control Unit

Control server 118 may interact with control unit 102 a using a numberof protocols. For example, control server 118 may publish information tocontrol unit 102 a while control unit 102 a may also pull informationfrom control server 118. According to embodiments described below,publishing and pulling information between devices may be done accordingto the pub-sub protocol discussed in FIG. 8. This may provide a numberof technical benefits including the managing of communication resourcesand the efficient authentication and dissemination of data betweenapplications 840 and devices in HVAC system 100.

FIG. 11 is an example timing diagram 1100 illustrating a method forpushing weather data from an control server 118 to an control unit 102a. Timing diagram 1100 further illustrates the systems and applications840 of control unit 102 a that may handle and communicate data whencontrol server 118 pushes the data to control unit 102 a. Embodiments ofFIG. 11 illustrate one or more steps that control units 102 may take toensure the authenticity and accuracy of data provided by control server118.

Control server 118 may periodically publish weather data 1120 to controlunit 102 a. The frequency of the weather data may be decided in a numberof ways. For example, control server 118 may publish weather data 1120to control unit 102 a according to a default setting. A default settingmay instruct control server 118 to send weather data 1120 at the sametime every day (e.g., 7:00 a.m.) A user may adjust the default settingsaccording to preferences of the user. For instance, the user may updatecontrol server 118 to publish weather data every hour using user device110 and application 111. In certain embodiments, the user may update thesettings by communicating with control unit 102 a over HVAC controlnetwork 124 and/or LAN 126. In some embodiments, control server 118 maypublish weather data 1120 in response to determining that weather data1120 comprises a severe weather warning affecting the geographiclocation of control unit 102 a.

Control server 118 may communicate weather data 1120 to control unit 102a using control connection 916. Remote gateway 828 may establish andmaintain control connection 916 on behalf of control unit 102 a. In someembodiments, control unit 102 a may publish weather data 1120 todatabase 830 based on the pub-sub protocol discussed above in FIG. 8.Multiple applications 840 of control unit 102 a may then subscribe tothe weather data sent from control server 118.

For example, analytics program 846 may receive weather data indicatingthat a cold front will soon reach the geographic location of controlunit 102 a. Analytics program 846 may send an alert to user device 110that a cold front is approaching and it may not be necessary forschedule program 848 to activate HVAC unit 104 to cool the house.

In the illustrated embodiment, interactive display 114 and weatherprogram 852 both subscribe to weather data. Weather program 852 maysubscribe to weather data to ensure that the weather data received isaccurate. Weather program 852 may verify that the weather data is forthe proper geographic location of control unit 102 a. Weather program852 may also determine that the weather data is timely. If controlconnection 916 is down for a period of time, upon re-establishingconnection with control server 118, control unit 102 a may receive oldweather data. If weather program 852 determines that the weather data isinaccurate, it may take steps to ensure no other applications 840 ordevices subscribed to that data use it. Weather program 852 may alertdatabase 830 of the inaccurate weather data and have database 830 deletethe report before other applications 840 receive the report. If weatherprogram 852 determines that the report is accurate, other applications840 and devices may utilize the report.

In timing diagram 1100, interactive display 114 also subscribes toweather data. Database 830 may publish the report to local gateway 826using publish command 1150. Local gateway 826 may then determine howinteractive device 114 is connected to control unit 102 a. In someembodiments, interactive display 114 is connected wirelessly over HVACcontrol network 124 and/or LAN 126. Local gateway 826 may determine whatthe preferred wireless communication channel is, and publish the weatherdata to interactive display 114 over the preferred channel using publishcommand 1160. Interactive display 114 may then receive the report anddisplay the weather data.

In this manner, control unit 102 a may efficiently distribute accurateweather data published by control server 118 to a number of applications840 and devices in the HVAC system. Furthermore, although timing diagram1100 uses published weather data, any suitable data used by HVAC system100 may be published by control server 118, received by control unit 102a, authenticated, and transmitted to applications 840 and devicessubscribed to the data.

In addition to receiving published data from control server 118, controlunit 102 a may pull data from control server 118. As described by FIG.12, control unit 102 a may utilize a number of techniques to ensure thatthe pulled data is received and authenticated in an expedient manner.

Pulling of Server Data

FIG. 12 is an example-timing diagram 1200 illustrating a method forpulling a data from control server 118 using control unit 102 a. Inaddition to receiving published data from control server 118 asdescribed in FIG. 11, control unit 102 a may pull data from controlserver 118. To illustrate the techniques utilized by control units 102a, timing diagram is illustrates control unit 102 a pulling weatherdata, however, any suitable type of data may be pulled from controlserver 118.

Control unit 102 a may pull weather data from control server 118 for anumber of reasons. If previously received weather data became corruptedduring communication or while the report was stored in memory 780,control unit 102 a may request another report from control server 118.If previously received weather data included a severe weather report,control unit 102 a may pull subsequent weather reports more frequentlythan normally scheduled.

To request the weather data, weather program 852 may generate pullcommand 1220. Pull command 1220 may indicate that control unit 102 arequests the most recent weather data from control server 118. Pullcommand 1220 may be sent to remote gateway 828 to forward the commandover control connection 916 to control server 118. In some embodiments,control unit 102 a may need to conserve communication resources andthus, control unit 102 a may only establish notification connection 914and control connection 916 when necessary. By sending pull command 1220to remote gateway 828, remote gateway 828 may establish controlconnection 916 to transmit the pull command 1220.

Control server 118 may receive pull weather command 1222 from remotegateway 828, generate a weather report, and publish weather data 1224back to remote gateway 828. Control server 118 may transmit weather data1224 back over the same control connection 916 or a new controlconnection may be established depending on whether control unit 102 a isconserving communication resources.

Once remote gateway 828 receives weather data 1224 from control server118, remote gateway 828 may publish the weather data to Database 830.Even though weather program 852 issued pull command 1220, the weatherdata may be communicated using the publish-subscribe protocol describedin FIG. 8. This allows other applications 840 and devices to access themost recent weather data in addition to weather program 852.Furthermore, this process may conserve processing resources of controlunit 102 a by only requiring one application 840 to send a pull messageto control server 118 instead of each subscribed application 840 sendinga pull message.

When database 830 receives publish command 1226 from remote gateway 828,control unit 102 a may conduct an accuracy check on the weather data asdescribed in detail in FIG. 11. Thus, weather program 852 may receivepublished weather command 1140 and determine its accuracy. If accurate,database 830 may allow all other subscribers to receive the weatherdata. For example, database 830 may publish the weather report to localgateway 826 using publish command 1150. Local gateway 826 may thenpublish the weather data to interactive display 114. In this manner,control unit 102 a may pull weather data from control server 118 andallow applications 840 and devices subscribed to the data to receive thepulled and verified weather data.

Although the present disclosure has been described with severalembodiments, a myriad of changes, variations, alterations,transformations, and modifications may be suggested to one skilled inthe art. For example, although the figures depict control units 102 athrough 102 n and example embodiments are illustrated using control unit102 a, one or more of the other control units 102 may perform theactions described using control unit 102 a while being similar ordifferent in structure and function. Furthermore, the description ofcontrol units 102 a through 102 n represents any number of components(from 1 through n) and is not necessarily limited to the two depictedcontrol units. It is intended that the present disclosure encompass suchchanges, variations, alterations, transformations, and modifications asfall within the scope of the appended claims.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A system for operating a heating,ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) control network, comprising: afirst control unit communicatively coupled to a first plurality of HVACunits and a first interactive display, the first control unit furthercomprising a software access point (softAP); a second control unitcommunicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and a secondinteractive display; the second control unit comprising a push button,wherein the second control unit is operable to connect to the firstcontrol unit to create an HVAC control network using a Wi-Fi directprotocol by invoking a Wi-Fi direct, push-button configuration inresponse to detecting that the push button has been depressed; the firstcontrol unit and the second control unit are further operable to connectto a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network comprising a wireless accesspoint, wherein the first control unit is operable to connect to a userdevice over the Wi-Fi network while concurrently being connected to thesecond control unit over the HVAC control network; and the first controlunit is operable to control the second plurality of HVAC units over theHVAC control network in response to the second control unit connectingto the first control unit.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein the firstcontrol unit is operable to receive a command from the user device overthe Wi-Fi network and transmit the command to the second control unitusing the HVAC control network.
 3. The system of claim 1, wherein thefirst control unit is operable to receive a command from the user deviceover the Wi-Fi network and transmit the command to the second controlunit using the Wi-Fi network.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein thewireless access point provides a connection to the Internet, and thefirst control unit is operable to connect to a control server over theInternet using the Wi-Fi network.
 5. The system of claim 1, furthercomprising: a third control unit, the third control unit communicativelycoupled to a third plurality of HVAC units and a third interactivedisplay; wherein the third control unit is operable to connect to thefirst control unit over the HVAC control network without using the Wi-Fidirect, push-button configuration by accessing previously storedparameters associated with the HVAC control network.
 6. The system ofclaim 5, wherein the parameters associated with the HVAC control networkcomprise a PIN and a SSID of the HVAC control network.
 7. A system foroperating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) controlnetwork, comprising: a first control unit communicatively coupled to afirst plurality of HVAC units and a first interactive display; a secondcontrol unit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC unitsand a second interactive display; wherein the second interactive displaycomprises a virtual push button icon, the second control unit isoperable to connect to the first control unit to create an HVAC controlnetwork using a Wi-Fi direct protocol by invoking a Wi-Fi direct,push-button configuration in response to detecting that the virtual pushbutton icon was selected; and the first control unit and the secondcontrol unit are further operable to connect to a Wi-Fi network, theWi-Fi network comprising a wireless access point, wherein the firstcontrol unit is operable to connect to a user device over the Wi-Finetwork while concurrently being connected to the second control unitover the HVAC control network; the first control unit is operable tocontrol the second plurality of HVAC units over the HVAC control networkin response to the second control unit connecting to the first controlunit.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the first control unit isfurther operable to receive a command from the user device over theWi-Fi network and transmit the command to the second control unit usingthe Wi-Fi network.
 9. The system of claim 7, wherein the wireless accesspoint is connected to the Internet and the first control unit isoperable to connect to a control server over the Internet using theWi-Fi network, the first control unit is further operable to receive acommand from the control server and communicate the command to thesecond control unit over the HVAC control network.
 10. The system ofclaim 7, further comprising: a third control unit, the third controlunit communicatively coupled to a third plurality of HVAC units and athird interactive display; wherein the third control unit is operable toconnect to the first control unit over the HVAC network without usingthe Wi-Fi direct, push-button configuration by accessing previouslystored parameters associated with the HVAC control network, wherein theparameters associated with the HVAC control network comprise a PIN andan SSID of the HVAC control network.
 11. A first control unit foroperating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) controlnetwork, comprising: a first interface operable to facilitatecommunications between the first control unit and a first plurality ofHVAC units; a second interface operable to facilitate communicationsbetween the first control unit and a first interactive display; a pushbutton operable to initiate a Wi-Fi direct, push-button configuration,wherein the Wi-Fi direct, push-button configuration enables the firstcontrol unit to communicate using Wi-Fi communication; a Wi-Fi moduleoperable to: connect the first control unit to a second control unit tocreate an HVAC control network using a Wi-Fi direct protocol in responseto detecting that the push button has been depressed, the second controlunit communicatively coupled to a second plurality of HVAC units and asecond interactive display; and connect the first control unit to a userdevice over a Wi-Fi network, the Wi-Fi network comprising a wirelessaccess point, wherein the first control unit is operable to concurrentlyconnect to the user device over the Wi-Fi network and the second controlunit over the HVAC control network; and a processor communicativelycoupled to the first interface, the second interface, and the Wi-Fimodule, the processor operable to transmit commands to the secondcontrol unit over the HVAC control network, the commands operable tocontrol the second plurality of HVAC units.
 12. The first control unitof claim 11, wherein the processor is further operable to: receive atemperature change command from the user device over the Wi-Fi networkusing the Wi-Fi module; and transmit the temperature change command tothe second control unit over the HVAC control network using the Wi-Fimodule.
 13. The first control unit of claim 11, wherein the processor isfurther operable to: receive a temperature change command from the userdevice over the Wi-Fi network using the Wi-Fi module; and transmit thetemperature change command to the second control unit over the Wi-Finetwork using the Wi-Fi module.
 14. The first control unit of claim 11,wherein the processor is operable to communicate, using the Wi-Fimodule, over the HVAC control unit using a first media access control(MAC) address associated with an independent basic service set (IBSS)and communicate, using the Wi-Fi module, over the Wi-Fi network using asecond MAC address associated with a basic service set (BSS).
 15. Thefirst control unit of claim 11, wherein the processor is furtheroperable to: detect, using the Wi-Fi module, a third control unit, thethird control unit communicatively coupled to a third plurality of HVACunits and a third interface device; and receive, using the Wi-Fi module,a request to join the HVAC network from the third control unit, therequest comprising credentials of the HVAC control network, wherein thecredentials comprise a PIN and a SSID of the HVAC control network.